AmeriCorps Seniors, a program dedicated to connecting people aged 55 and older with meaningful volunteer opportunities, is thrilled to invite residents of all ages to the upcoming Volunteer Fair on Tuesday, Nov. 14. This event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the Genesee County Office For The Aging, located at 2 Bank St., Batavia.
The AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteer Fair promises to be an enlightening and engaging event, open to all members of the community who wish to explore the world of volunteering and community service. Courtney Iburi, AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Director, will be available to help guide and connect people to volunteer opportunities. She is committed to finding the perfect volunteer opportunity to match your interests, skills, and passions.
What to Expect
Diverse Volunteer Opportunities: AmeriCorps Seniors partners with numerous local organizations to provide a wide array of volunteer opportunities. This event is your chance to learn about these opportunities and how you can get involved.
Perfect Match for You: Finding the right volunteer opportunity that aligns with your interests and skills is crucial. At the Volunteer Fair, you will discover how AmeriCorps Seniors can help you find the perfect volunteer match that not only fulfills your desire to give back but also utilizes your talents effectively.
Support and Recognition: AmeriCorps Seniors offers valuable support to volunteers, including supplemental liability insurance while volunteering and various training opportunities. We also make it a point to celebrate our volunteers at an annual recognition event, acknowledging their contributions to the community.
AmeriCorps Seniors is committed to providing meaningful ways for individuals to purposefully serve their community, creating a positive impact on the lives of others.
The first 50 attendees will receive a special gift package containing an insulated tote, notebook, and pen. A drawing for exciting prizes will also be held for every attendee who visits each attending table. For more information about the AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteer Fair or any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 585-343-1611.
It's been 15 years since Steve Hyde first conceived of a massive, high-tech industrial park in Genesee County, and in 2023 Hyde is still focused on turning WNY STAMP into a fully realized mega site in the Town of Alabama even as the project faces its biggest legal challenges yet.
Hyde, the CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, and Jim Krencik, the agency's marketing director, spoke with The Batavian on Friday primarily to discuss a new $56 million round of funding from New York State.
The infusion of cash, Hyde shared in his unbowed enthusiasm for all things STAMP, will help take STAMP -- with two projects already being developed -- to the next level, making it more attractive to a new wave of site selectors.
"It helps get Edwards what they need to get up and running and hiring their first 300 or so employees and building their first quarter million square foot factory," Hyde said. "The future is really that 310-acre campus (see map above) that's pretty much the largest available parcel in the state, and (the funding) fully makes it plug-and-play ready. That's really where I think the benefit is. That's where the interest is.
“You know, I couldn't have envisioned 15 years ago when this was a twinkle in my eye, and the board was helping me shape the thoughts and the strategy around it -- I just couldn't have imagined that 15 years later, we've got big sites like these out there. (We've got them) because of the chip sector, because of the Federal IRA (Inflation Reduction Act), because of the big focus right now -- all these big electric vehicle plants, battery plants, chip fabs, supply chain support for the chip fabs, solar projects,” he said. “There are less than two dozen mega sites at the same level of development as STAMP in the entire country. We're seeing deal flow right now like never before. And the more you can build the capacity, the infrastructure and really have it ready to support a company's timeline, it makes us far more competitive."
At the same time, GCEDC received notice from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to temporarily halt the construction of a sewer line through the Iroquois Wildlife Preserve.
Hyde believes GCEDC will get past these challenges and be able to carry on with the agency's original plans, but if not, plans are being developed for alternative solutions, he said.
As for the lawsuit, Hyde said, "I'm really confident in the strength of our arguments."
The northern route for the sewer line, he said, is the most environmentally sound option, which is why the route was recommended by the Department of Environmental Conservation.
"If you look at the reality of what we're dealing with, in that case, that particular situation, it is DEC permitted," Hyde said. "They spent three years reviewing the plans. The DEC directed us to put the flow there because it was the best place for the care of that water body versus where we were looking as an option in Genesee County. It would have been more environmentally challenging than to do it in Genesee, and that was the reason they selected that area. There was careful study by the authority that has the responsibility for maintaining and protecting our environment. And they issued the permit. And that permit is far more stringent than what the Medina Wastewater Treatment Plant is currently operating under because they're grandfathered.
"So when I look at the challenges that are before us and presented, it's procedural things, and with procedural things, there are always ways to find solutions. So I am not at all concerned about proceeding, because it's a long pathway to do all this stuff anyway. And at the end of it, by proceeding, we're going to enjoy greater economic vibrancy here in this region."
Fish and Wildlife has not completely killed off the sewer line project with its stop-work order. GCEDC must come up with a plan to better contain and remediate potential environmental hazards during construction following two leaks in late summer and early fall of material used to help create boreholes for the pipeline.
He (Masse) said that during the construction of the wastewater pipeline, a channel is drilled through the subsurface and then filled with what is essentially mud to hold the line's shape while the pipe is slid into place.
"It's basically water and clay," Masse said. "The soil is so soft that it actually ended up going out through the soil. We've done the appropriate cleanups, we had an approved frac-out plan with the DEC ahead of time as part of our permitting. We are making improvements to it, and all of that cleanup and review is subject to the DEC review."
Asked to clarify what happened, Masse said, "In some cases in the refuge, the ground is so porous that when they put the mud in, it leaks out through the sides. It came up to the surface. And that's what they call a frac-out. But it is nothing more than mud. So we had vac trucks on site and cleaned it up. We have subject to DEC inspection on that and in accordance with our frac-out plan."
Calling the substance "mud" is technically accurate, but it is also an incomplete explanation.
There was a small spill in August, followed by a 100-gallon spill on Sept. 7.
Both spills contained "Wyoming sodium bentonite clay slurry," according to Fish and Wildlife.
Sodium bentonite is a naturally occurring substance, but it isn't naturally occurring in the water of a wetland.
It is a water-absorbent mineral clay. You might find it in your kitty's cat sand. It is also used as a cleansing agent in wastewater treatment, a clumping agent in metal casting, a sealant in water ponds, and, yes, as a mud additive (generally considered environmentally friendly in such uses) in drilling.
The biggest concern of Fish and Wildlife was apparently the lack of a swift response to contain and clean up the second spill and the lack of proper notification to regulators on the day of the spill.
Fish and Wildlife stated in its notice letter, "This discharge was not contained on the project site and ultimately spread over an area of approximately 200 feet by 120 feet."
It states that appropriate measures were not taken to implement, install and maintain measures necessary to prevent discharge of pollutants from the site.
"When department staff were at the site on Sept. 8, despite that the frac-out had occurred over 24 hours earlier, the fracking muds and fluids had not been removed from the impacted freshwater wetland and adjacent area, and no representatives of the permittee were present," states the notice.
Fish and Wildlife takes the spill and the response seriously enough that it notes GCEDC faces potential fines pending further investigation.
Before pipeline construction can resume, GCEDC must develop a plan to reduce the chances of future spills and for a better remediation effort if there is an accident.
About a week ago, in an email interview with Krencik, he stated:
Drilling for the force main installation has been halted for the construction season to avoid any conflict with snow removal services. In addition, at the request of regulatory agencies, additional geotechnical investigations have been performed to further define the soil conditions to assist our construction teams. GCEDC and the STAMP Sewer Works Corporation (SSWC) are working closely with NYSDEC and other regulatory authorities to resolve any concerns and ensure cleanup of the release of any drilling fluids from these two frac out events before resuming construction of the force main installation during permitted construction windows next season.
The $56 million awarded to STAMP by Gov. Kathy Hochul's office is the second considerable investment in STAMP by the state. In 2014, STAMP received $33 million for infrastructure and to jump-start project development.
"It's all about capacity," Hyde said. "That $33 million, especially in this era of inflation, got used for a lot of things. That money was used to build the initial infrastructure, but it was also invested in finishing up the design and permitting of the site, which of course, takes time and money. It built the baseline roadways, built some stormwater ponds, got us going on the force main ... it was really a lot of the engineering, design, the planning and permitting, baseline infrastructure. This (the new award) expands those capacities and adds some critical pieces."
Krencik added, "We've always been trying to stay ahead of where the market is. That (the $33 million) really got our foot in the door and enabled the first projects that you're looking at being implemented as phase one projects."
There is a 310-acre plot in STAMP that Hyde said is the largest such parcel available in the state, and the new round of funding will help make it more interesting to site selectors.
There is demand for the sites still available in STAMP, Krencik said.
"When you look across our sales funnel, that's what we're seeing," Krencik said. "The demand is roughly fitting in with us, and infrastructure, it takes time. That's why you do all the due diligence, all the permitting, getting all the permits for the DEC, the town of Shelby, all these pieces getting it done. It really gets ahead of these things. And with the substation being built, a lot of this stuff is being built. The state support is a pretty clear signal of what they're feeling."
The electrical substation, both Krencik and Hyde said, is a critical component of making STAMP more attractive to site selectors and more competitive with other industrial parks.
"Electrical infrastructure, that has been one of the longest lead time items we've faced, and it is coming in right now," Krencik said. "That's one of the biggest things giving companies confidence (in STAMP)."
Hyde said the substation will provide 600 megawatts of power, which is enough to power 600,000 homes and to energize high-tech companies at the scale they need.
And all of these numbers add up to more numbers, numbers in the form of good-paying jobs that won't require college degrees, Hyde noted.
"The beauty is, these jobs are kind of that next-level jobs for the community,' Hyde said. "I mean, our average income in our manufacturing jobs is in the low 60s right now, which is really good. It's good earnings for families, especially if you put a couple of those together, right? You have a good family-sustaining income. These jobs (at Plug Power and Edwards) are around 30 percent higher than that, so we're north of $80,000 on average between all the jobs being planned. That's kind of the goal, right? STAMP is about trying to elevate our economic vibrancy for our residents and our kids. The gratifying thing is that with the first two companies that have committed here, we're already seeing what the earnings and the wealth generation will be for our community."
Plug Power, one of the two new developments in STAMP, under construction. Photo via Genesee County Economic Development Center.
The father-son duo of Kevin Gray Sr. and Kevin Gray Jr. led the way this week in Genesee Region USBC league bowling action.
Gray Sr. spun a 290 middle game en route to a 715 series while teammate Gray Jr. finished with 268 and 263 for a 745 series on lanes 3-4 in the Thursday Owls League at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen.
The 290 is second high in the league this year (behind Gray Jr.'s 297) and the 745 also is number two on the leaderboard (behind Harris Busmire's 752).
In the Every Other Saturday League at Rose Garden, Colleen Pimm recorded a 227 game and 650 series to lead all bowlers.
In other action:
-- Curtis Foss of Medina posted 268--748 to top the list in the Sneezy's Monday Night League at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.
-- Three bowlers topped the 700 mark in the Mancuso Real Estate Doubles League at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia -- Brian Green 749, Scott Culp 719 and Brian Cline 714.
-- James Townsend took top honors in the Brighton Securities Tuesday Triples League at Mancuso's with a 259 game and 735 series, while Haley Luce posted a 254 game and 619 series in the Wednesday Nite Ladies League at Mancuso's.
-- Hayden Allis stayed hot in the Sunday Rolloffs League at Medina Lanes with a 279 game and 763 series. Scott Gibson and Jason Mahnke rolled 727 and 725, respectively.
For a list of high scores for the week, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.
You are invited to attend a waffle breakfast on Saturday, November 11 th from 7AM to 10AM at Bontrager Auction Center in Batavia, NY! Come and enjoy all-you-can-eat waffles, sausage, coffee and all the fixin’s! Admission is $10. Non-perishable food donations for those in need are also being accepted at this event.
All funds raised at the breakfast support the Christian Missions & Relief Sale, a benefit auction planned for August 10 th, 2024. This sale is seeking to support efforts to further God’s Kingdom through two organizations: Christian Aid Ministries and the East African Initiative. Christian Aid Ministries is a organization working to provide relief and the Gospel to those in areas of crisis and need around the world. East African Initiative is an effort of Christians in Western NY to train and minister to church leaders in growing East African Churches.
Tickets are also being sold pre-sale. For tickets or more information on this event, contact Zak Jantzi, (585) 409-7408.
Claudia Hoyser, left, and Batavia resident Valeria Antonetty, her server for the appearance at Mr. Wine and Liquor, display her Drunken Bean Whiskey. Photo by Howard Owens.
Country music recording artist Claudia Hoyser, based in Rochester, visited Mr. Wine and Liquor in Batavia on Saturday to promote her Drunken Bean Whiskey, a coffee-flavored whiskey.
It's not Hoyser's first visit to Genesee County. She's headlined at Jam at the Ridge (a now-defunct music venue) in Le Roy, recorded portions of a music video in Genesee County (see below), and has previously visited Mr. Wine and Liquor.
Earlier this year, her music video for Small Town Motels topped Country Music Television's 12-Pack Country Countdown for nine straight weeks. Since her last visit to Batavia, she's played shows from California to New York.
Batavia's youth basketball camp, this year run by JV Coach Dave Pero, opened on Saturday.
Pero said 20 kids signed up for the camp, and 20 more showed up on the first morning, for a total of 40 boys and girls participating.
The camp is free and lasts six weeks, with a week off for Thanksgiving.
There are three sessions at John Kennedy Primary School each Saturday:
Grades 1-2, 9 to 10 a.m.
Grades 3-4, 10 to 11:15 a.m.
Grades 5-6, 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
The players work on the fundamentals of the game -- dribbling, passing, shooting.
"The emphasis is on the kids having fun," Pero said. "The goal is to introduce the game of basketball to young kids and help the older kids get prepared for their travel seasons."
For the second season in a row, the Pembroke Dragons are the Section 8-Man Football champions.
On Friday, the Dragons beat Bolivar-Richburg 70-30.
Pembroke topped 500 yards in total offense, with the line of Ben Steinberg, Jayden Mast, Jayden Bridge, Madden Perry, JJ Gabbey, Octavius Martin and Hayden Williams giving running room to Tyson Totten, who gained 394 yards and scored eight touchdowns.
Fullback Caleb Felski had 97 yards rushing and a touchdown to go over 1000 yards rushing on the season. Felski also had an 80-yard kick return for a touchdown
Defensively the Dragons were led by Nose Tackle Jayden Mast with 16 tackles. Tyson Totten had 14 tackles, while Caleb Felski chipped in 10 tackles. Octavius Martin, Hayden Williams, Sean Pustulka, Madden Perry, Jeremy Gabbey and Jayden Bridge each added five or more tackles. Pustulka had two interceptions and was 6 for 6 on extra points.
In the Far West Regional on Friday, Pembroke will face Section VI champs, Frewsburg Bears.
Le Roy beat East Rochester/Gananda 37-6 to win the Section V Class C semifinal at Hartwood Park on Friday.
With Attica/Alexander's win, 42-0, over Letchworth/Warsaw/Perry, it sets up a championship game between the #1 seed Le Roy against the #2 seed Attica/Alexander on Saturday at 5 p.m. and SUNY Brockport.
For Le Roy, Tony Piazza rushed for 122 yards and a TD on 23 carries, and Drew Strollo rushed for 112 yards and a TD on 22 carries.
On defense, Peter Clark had three tackles, a sack, and three pass breakups. Luke Lathan also had a sack, and Connor Hegeman had five tackles.
Attica/Alexander's lone loss on the season came against Le Roy on Sept. 29, 44-27.
Jack Farner with the header to score Byron-Bergen's first goal. Photo by Jennifer DiQuattro
The Byron-Bergen Bees are Far West Regional champions after beating Section VI's Wilson 2-1 in Boys Soccer on Friday in West Seneca.
The Bees advance to the Final Four of the state championship tournament in Class C. Their first game is at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Goshen High School (about 4 1/2 hours from Batavia). They will play either Fabius or Seton Catholic in the semifinal. Seton Catholic is the #1 ranked Class C team in the state.
On Friday, Jack Farner scored the first goal with an assist from Colin Martin.
Colin Rea, who missed nearly all of the regular season with an injury, scored the second goal with 16 minutes left in the game. It was his first goal of the season.
The Bees enter the state tournament with an 18-2-1 record.
Zailen Griffen inched the ball over the goalline for one of his three touchdowns while senior lineman Alex Merica begins the celebration. Photo by Howard Owens.
Heartbreaking is the best way to describe the Batavia Blue Devil's 26-20 loss to the Honeoye Falls/Lima Cougars in the Class B football semifinal on Friday night.
The boys' varsity squad was by no means guaranteed the win when the defense made a costly mistake late in the fourth quarter.
But the mistake gave the Cougars' offense new life after the defense had snuffed an apparent scoring drive in the red zone.
First-year head coach Alex Veltz took responsibility for the mental error, saying he hadn't properly prepared his team for a rare circumstance in a high school football game: a blocked field goal attempt.
The defense, apparently unaware that, unlike a point-after attempt, the ball is still live when the kick is blocked, didn't immediately scramble to obtain possession of the ball, and HFL lingered a couple of seconds, too. When a Batavia player did pick up the ball, he tossed it away, making it a fumble, and at least one HFL player had the situational awareness to pounce on it, giving the Cougars a new set of downs and another chance to score. That TD became the difference in an otherwise evenly-matched game.
The Blue Devils got the ball back with less than 1:30 left on the clock and couldn't mount a quick-strike drive.
"You don't see many high school field goals," Veltz said in an on-field interview with The Batavian after the game. "It's just not a situation you encounter very much. It was something we didn't prep for, so my message to the team was I took ownership of it because it was a situation we didn't prepare for, a blocked field goal, reacting to a live ball, knowing that is different and the guys weren't ready for it."
It was a big game for junior running back Zailen Griffen, who scored all three of Batavia's TDs on 20 carries for 160 yards.
Cole Grazioplene had three receptions for 25 yards, and one carry for 37 yards.
On defense, Maggio Buchholz had 13.5 tackles; Lakoda Mruczek, 8.5 tackles; and Carter Mullen, one interception.
Veltz took over a young team, and while he will lose three of his senior captains to graduation, he expects good things from the Blue Devils in 2024.
For more photos and to purchase prints, click here.
Bronx Bucholz with a pass attempt under pressure in the second half. Photo by Howard Owens
HFL QB Matthew Meacham under pressure in the second half. Photo by Howard Owens
Cole Grazioplene during the first half with one of his three receptions. Photo by Howard Owens
Zailen Griffin eludes his final obstacle on his way to a more than 50-yard TD run. It was a clear and open field after he broke the tackle attempt. Photo by Howard Owens
Photo by Howard Owens
Zailen Griffin Photo by Howard Owens
Bronx Buchholz on a QB keeper behind lineman Karvel Martino, who as a sophomore is 6' 2", 350 pounds. Photo by Howard Owens
The field goal attempt would be blocked and prove to be the decisive moment in the game. Photo by Howard Owens
Work being performed at the defunct Batavia Iron and Metal Company site on Bank Street in Batavia. Photo from City of Batavia online post
City officials have been keeping a close eye on the Bank Street property once owned and operated by Batavia Iron and Metal Company, and in more recent months, where the grounds have been the target of remediation work by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Although the City of Batavia no longer owns the property and will likely move to foreclose on it and devise a re-use strategy, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said she is pleased with all that has taken place there since the DEC has claimed it as a Superfund site for brownfield cleanup.
“Re-use of the site will be dependent on the level of clean-up. If the site has been cleaned to unrestricted, residential and/or commercial activities would be allowed there,” Tabelski said. “The work the DEC has done at this parcel is truly amazing, and on behalf of the City, I would like to thank the members of the site cleanup team, from the engineers, construction, monitors, trucking, etc. and DEC for the leadership and prioritizing community health. Any time a brownfield site in our city is cleaned up, either by the DEC or a private developer, it is an accomplishment we should celebrate.”
The city threw that celebration online recently with some photos of the work-in-progress at the site that sits between Dwyer Stadium and private homeowners.
Photos from City of Batavia online post
Back then After nearly 50 years operating as a metal recycling business and then sitting defunct for another dozen or so years next to Dwyer Stadium, Batavia Iron and Metal has been on a slow track for cleanup, and the next phase to get it back on the tax rolls began more than a year ago, Jeff Wernick of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said previously.
DEC put out a call for bids to conduct remediation of approximately 50,000 tons of PCB-impacted soil for off-site disposal, backfill and restoration, Wernick said in response to The Batavian’s inquiries in 2022.
“DEC received four viable bids,” Wernick said. "The bids are associated with the remediation efforts under the State Superfund program. Work is being performed under a self-implementation agreement with the United States Environmental Protection Agency. DEC’s role for future use is limited to the completion of the cleanup activities and the release of the remediated site for residential or commercial use in accordance with local zoning ordinances.”
The winning bid award is expected in the fall, with work to start in the spring of 2023, he said. The scope of work is estimated to cost $15 million to $20 million. Remedial activities include the removal of PCB-contaminated soil, temporary water treatment, backfill, and restoration, including the transport and disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous soils.
The site at 301 Bank St., Batavia, earned special attention from the Department of Environmental Conservation more than a dozen years after it went defunct and was abandoned. Cleanups had been initiated for neighboring properties and the business site from 2013 to 2018.
And now Since then, DEC has been overseeing the comprehensive cleanup that, once complete, “will be fully protective of public health and the environment,” DEC Assistant Public Information Officer Denis Slattery said Friday. “Remedial work at the site is moving forward as scheduled with the transport and disposal of 65,000 tons of impacted soil and debris to off-site permitted facilities, as well as backfilling, and restoration of wetland areas.
“Areas suitable for fall planting and seeding will be restored before work shuts down for the winter in December,” he said. “Site activity will resume in the spring with the restoration of paved areas and permanent fencing.”
Work is projected to be completed by summer 2024, he said. The site is anticipated to be restored for commercial use under an easement in accordance with local zoning laws.
“DEC will continue to coordinate with the city as the project moves toward completion,” Slattery said.
A DEC fact sheet from 2018 states that, based on the April 2013 Record of Decision, the cleanup included removal of contaminated soil and debris and from on-site and parcels located near the former facility. The Site operated as a metal recycling facility from 1951 to 1999.
Batavia Iron and Metal aftermath Batavia Iron and Metal also purchased and handled electrical transformers on the property. Two furnaces operated at the facility from the early 1970s until 1994 for the purpose of reclaiming wire and smelting white metals. Prior to the use of the furnaces, the facility utilized open burning in Dumpsters in the yard to remove insulation from the wiring.
DEC took charge of designing and implementing this cleanup to remove the contaminants that have migrated from the site onto City property, the Fact Sheet states. As part of the remedy, the installation of sub-slab depressurization systems at three residences near the site was completed in 2013. In addition, a cleanup involving soil removal at three residences was completed in 2014.
Further work included soil removal and restoration activities along the rear property boundary of 299 Bank Street and 301 Bank Street. The goal of the cleanup effort was “to ensure the effective removal and proper disposal of contaminated soil and to restore the property with clean soil.” At least one neighbor — who lives next door to the defunct business — had complained about potential health issues from toxins leaching into his water system and how his trees would not grow in the contaminated soil.
Work done in 2017 was performed by Nature’s Way Environmental of Alden, with oversight and inspection provided by DEC. Soil identified for remediation was to be excavated and disposed of off-site. All areas that were disturbed during the removal were also to be restored, and the same for any City of Batavia-owned roads, utilities, or other infrastructure impacted by the cleanup activities.
DEC and the New York State Department of Health approved a Community Air Monitoring Plan that required continuous air monitoring during all excavation and backfilling activities to ensure no additional contamination was released to the environment or adjacent properties during the cleanup.
The project is being funded and conducted pursuant to terms of the State Superfund program, intended for “Brownfield” areas that are contaminated with toxic waste and in need of remediation for safe future use.
Eric Zwieg of Batavia looks through the bannister at GO Art!, where his first staged reading, "Passenger: A Billion Little Pieces," will be presented at 7 p.m. Nov. 9. Photo by Howard Owens
A native of Rochester who has lived “everywhere” before settling down in Batavia eight years ago, Eric Zwieg could easily be described as a journeying artist.
Zwieg, who has more recently racked up academic degrees with no stopping in sight, spent his childhood in his grandmother’s cultural Chautauqua Institute surroundings, where he saw great jazz legends, later pursuing music performance in college before quitting after a year to indulge in the real thing — hitting the road for the next several years, forming his own bands, writing songs, recording albums, and scoring acting gigs for Indie movies.
“I really wasn’t getting out of it what I wanted. My mother had been an opera singer in college, so she really wanted me to get the schooling, but it wasn’t meant for me. I’d rather hang in the bars,” Zwieg said during an interview with The Batavian. “I worked really hard. I was very industrious,” he said, adding the piece that most aspiring artists can relate to. “I was a personal trainer, did restaurant jobs, gallery jobs, I used to light shows for galleries, anything to make a buck here and there. And it all added up to put food on the table and pay rent.”
He dabbled in writing by drafting his own audition scripts for the theater “to help me stand out a little bit, you know, instead of the same old, same old stuff they hear.”
“So I was always trying to be creative in that respect. That got me the Indie film parts," he said. "They didn’t pay anything, but you’re working, and you’re doing what you really want to do.”
Since all of that, for the last seven years, he’s been in school full-time, earning a bachelor’s degree in writing in 2016 and his master’s in writing four years later. And “that’s where my writing really started to take on some importance in my life,” he said.
He then obtained his master’s in fine arts at Goddard College this July, which is when he completed the thesis he is using as the basis for his staged reading of “Passenger: A Billion Little Pieces.” It debuts at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 at GO Art!’s main gallery, 201 East Main St., Batavia.
“It’s a fully hybrid memoir, which is important that people understand that, and it’s based on postmodern writing disciplines and elements, and postmodern literature, having started after World War II … I’m using all the literary elements, I really wanted to pull a card trick off here, not only on my mentors but on the readers,” he said. “I really want to fill it chock full of all this stuff that, it’s aesthetically beautiful to read, but they don’t know what’s going on. And so it kind of takes one to know one. So there’s so much hidden, but it’s stylistically very academic.”
This presentation was made possible with Zwieg’s fifth Ripple grant award through GO Art!
“Passenger: A Billion Little Pieces—postmodern reflections in an attempt at several literary sensibilities, attitudes, and genre” is a hybrid of prose, poetry (Haiku, prosaic, anaphoric, repetition, lyric, narrative), definitions, quotes, lists, font variations, cut-and-paste, liberal punctuation, foreign language, dramatic and film dialogue insertions, homage, pastiche, text colorization, watermarks, absurdum, images, page breaks, use of whitespace, academic annotations, object blocks, postmodern concepts (metafiction, unreliable narration, intertextuality, anti-authorism, rejection-embracement of high and low culturalism, nonlinear storyline), embedded dramaturgical direction, irony, metaphor, existential thought, epistemology, naïve realism, philosophical skepticism, parody-satire, unrealistic narratives, paradox, sarcasm, humor, multiple POVs, dreams within dreams, stories within stories, nonuse of page numbers, contractions, quotation marks, and a bit of memoir, be it faux, pragmatic or idealistic.
Those are a lot of varying elements. Given the academic basis of the reading, and you say so much is hidden, will the audience get it? Maybe not. They might not fully understand the big picture, he said, but will get the vignettes.
“They’ll get the chapters, and they’ll see this guy Henry Grace’s character,” Zwieg said. “He’s an everyman. He’s kind of an island.”
As Zwieg described Grace, and his own existence over the last number of years, one might wonder if there’s also some autobiography in here as well. There is some loneliness.
Passenger is a professional reading with paid performers featuring Richard Ferris, Stephen VanValkenburg and Zwieg. While there are no costumes or sets, and perhaps because of that, it’s the words — their nuance, their lilt, their palpable meaning, their pronunciation and embrace as delivered by the performers — that make this show, Zwieg said.
He pays homage to his favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, David Foster Wallace, and poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who founded City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco.
“I love these writers so much, you’re paying homage to them,” he said. I’m not trying to compare myself to them. I have my own twist on it too.”
Vonnegut is an American writer well known for his “Slaughterhouse-Five,” which Zwieg specifically referenced, and Foster Wallace is a postmodern novelist. His other muse, if it can be called that, was rock band Television’s album “Marquee Moon,” of which he painstakingly rifled through all eight tracks to pull references, quotes and footnotes that have significance for him.
“There's a section when Henry falls in love with music as a teenager, right? And he goes to see that live band for the first time. So that's where this concept comes from Television. Unless you're a real music nerd, not a lot of people know about it. But this was at CBGBs in the mid-70s, which blew up with Blondie, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Television, on and on and on. It was just, that was the passion of music,” he said. “And so that's the connection to music for me. So the eight chapters, you know, See No Evil, Marquee Moon, whatever on down, are the track listings on that album. And there are quotes. There are footnotes throughout … there are seven or eight pages of footnotes that relate back to the photos, quotations, movie quotes, movie dialogue, all that stuff.
"So I give credit to all those people. But there are a number of quotes from the lead singer and main songwriter on Television, who actually passed away just this year, Tom Verlaine. And so that's that energy I was trying to, you know, that element really means a lot to me.”
While working on each chapter, he would key in on one song and listen to it, he said, some 20 times in a four-hour period, to “define and pick a line out here that I can include in my prose texts somehow to make it that more of a convoluted postmodern type of experience.”
So there’s a lot going on, he said. An easy understatement. However, that’s the beauty of art and poetry and words, as Passenger’s own script states:
You. You are. You are you. You have been.
You are. You will be forever. Breathe deeply. Listen. Allow life to be. Simple as a moment.
Fulfilling. The end is what you make it. Who are you? but existence without answers surrounded by suffering.
Reaching for clarity in all things. Survival dependent upon the balance of randomness, choice, and the process of process.
Journeys yet unfulfilled.
There will be a second show at 2 p.m. Nov. 11 at Pub Coffee Hub, 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia. There is no admission fee, and it is suggested for mature audiences only of age 17 and older.
On Friday, Dec. 15 at 5 p.m. Genesee Community College Foundation will welcome all guests to its annual Encore Celebration. This year's event theme, "White Christmas," inspired by the 1954 classic film, will capture the essence of the holiday season and features a special holiday concert program choreographed by the Genesee Symphony Orchestra.
Encore has a distinctive 30-year tradition and all proceeds from the event directly support student scholarships at Genesee Community College. The College is pleased to announce the return of our Presenting Sponsor, Tompkins Financial Corporation, to Encore 2023.
"Tompkins' banking, insurance, and wealth teams are proud to once again partner with GCC in support of the people and community we serve here in western New York," said David Boyce, President & CEO, of Tompkins Insurance Agencies.
There are several opportunities remaining to sponsor the Encore event. These sponsorships are critically important to the scholarships GCC provides its students and are available at several levels this year:
Table Sponsor: $1,500
Conductor's Circle: $1,000
Golden Baton Society: $600
Inner Circle: $300
Individual Platinum Patron Ticket: $100
Help make a difference and make your reservations today at www.gccfoundationinc.org/encore or contact the Foundation Office at (585) 345-6809.
For more information contact Justin Johnston, Vice President, Development and External Affairs at (585) 345-6809, or via email: foundation@genesee.edu.
On Friday, Nov. 17, the Genesee County STOP-DWI Advisory Board will sponsor their 7th annual STOP-DWI Awards Luncheon at Terry Hills Restaurant & Banquet Facility. Nine young people from districts in the county will be honored for their commitment to the community for entering the STOP-DWI Poster Contest.
There are 1st -3rd place winners in each category, 6th - 8th grade hand drawn, 6th - 8th grade Computer Generated Art and 9th -12th grade Computer Generated Art. There is also a Grand Prize Winner.
Additionally, the luncheon will recognize three Top Cop Awards. The following young people will be recognized for their STOP-DWI poster submissions:
6th - 8th grade winners: Alyssa Bailey, Jameson Hargrave, Deborah Heineman, Taylor Louis and Peyton Gay.
The Grand Prize Winner whose artwork will appear on a billboard in Genesee County in November and December is Marley Santos, a 10th grader from Batavia High School.
Batavia Police Officer Joseph Weglarski, Genesee County Sheriff Deputy Zachary Hoy and Village of LeRoy Police Department Officer Jordan Wolcott are receiving the Top Cop Award for going above and beyond with DWI arrests during a twelve month time period. They are also being honored for their dedication to keeping our community safe.
Registration will begin at 11:30 a.m. The program and luncheon will begin at 12 p.m. Seating is limited. If you are interested in attending the luncheon, contact Theresa Osborn at the Genesee County Youth Bureau at (585) 344-3960 no later than Nov. 9.
We are writing on behalf of the Batavia City School District, as well as the students, staff and residents in the fifty-seven (57) small city school districts across New York State. We are seeking the support of your school district and its residents in amending the NYS Constitution through a public vote November 7, 2023. The small city school districts in NYS are seeking to amend the State Constitution which limits small city school district debt (critical for building and capital construction) to five percent (5%), while all rural and suburban non city school districts debt limit is set at ten percent (10%). The only means to make this change and provide small city school districts with the same opportunity as other school districts is through a public vote. WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Allowing small city school districts to have a ten percent debt limit would permit these school districts to conduct building planning and projects at the scale and scope necessary to efficiently and effectively make critically needed building upgrades and improvements in a timely and cost-effective manner. Should this vote in November be successful it would not have any impact on non-city school districts. Currently small city school directs due to their five percent (5%) debt limit must address needed capital improvements for health and safety projects, HVAC improvements, roofing replacements, facility renovations and additions to address instructional and enrollment needs as well as changing State requirement, through a sequential series of smaller projects over a number of years in order to stay under the five percent debt limit cap. The proposed amendment to the State Constitution would eliminate this.
The NYS Association of Small City School Districts have garnered the support of the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA), the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS), New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), New York State Association of School Business Officials (ASBO), the NYS Education Conference Board, NYS legislative support through concurrent resolutions passed through the legislature in 2022 and 2023 to amend the constitution and a 2023 bill to set small city school district debt limit at ten percent in statute should the voters in NYS approve the November proposal.
Small City School Districts view this critical issue and vote as a matter of equity and fairness for students, school districts and communities across New York State. We strongly ask for you to support the vote for small city school districts in this November’s elections and vote.
Sincerely,
Members of the Batavia City School District Board of Education
John Marucci, President
John Reigle, Vice-President
Korinne Anderson
Alice Ann Benedict
Barbara Bowman
Jennifer Lendvay
Chez’eray Rolle
Jason A. Smith, Batavia City School District Superintendent of Schools
Genesee County Manager Matt Landers presents the 2024 proposed budget Wednesday during a public hearing at the Old County Courthouse. Photo by Joanne Beck
Pembroke Town Supervisor Thomas Schneider understands that Genesee County has some rough financial waters to navigate, however, he still wants county officials to remember that he and other municipalities are out there working to maintain their vessels as well.
"Now, it's nice that the county rate is reduced again. But I just want to encourage the Legislature to remember the towns and villages," Schneider said during the county’s budget hearing Wednesday at the old County Courthouse in Batavia. "And I know you've got a lot of other expenses and departments to deal with, but, you know, that did put a significant hit on the town budgets. And I hate to keep sounding like a broken record … we're appreciative of whatever can be shared. I'm a strong supporter of the whole ship working together to stay afloat.”
Genesee County Manager Matt Landers released his 2024 budget and related message on Friday, and this week included the entire financial summary for the nearly $183 million spending plan, an increase of $20 million from 2023. It includes a property tax levy of $32.7 million, a $1.5 million cash surplus, a $17.4 million year-end fund balance, $104 million in revenues and $138 million in appropriations.
This isn't the first time Schneider has come to talk to legislators about his plight as a cash-strapped supervisor, and he has been accompanied in the past by other supervisors as well. No matter the outcome, he wants to keep up with the message, he said.
“You know, I think I'm slowly getting into the fifth stage of grief at this point where it's acceptance. The local level tends to be where most of the people come to voice their concerns, it seems like, and trying to get them to understand what the new normal is in Genesee County and in the town of Pembroke is sometimes a little tough. So I don't want to upset anybody if I'm directing them to the County Legislature because, you know, our budget has not increased from 2018. We're still running at 2018 levels in our budgets,” he said. “So I would love to be able to have an increase in my budget each year, but then I've got to put that on the taxpayers and in the town, and so we have to think long and hard about those increases."
Of the general fund expenses, there is a $5.2 million increase in the water fund because of the Phase 2 water project, he said. The good news, Landers said: “That is a one-time, non-reoccurring” cost.
“So we don’t expect to see that in the 2025 budget,” he said. “So as far as the $20 million, $5 million of it is right there. That won’t be back next year. “$4.8 million of it is an increase in salaries and related employer FICA costs.”
People that go the public defender’s office and have some type of conflict and have to instead to assigned counsel, there’s a reimbursement cost for that, “which is causing a million dollar increase in costs,” Landers said. “The state is reimbursing half of that. But for the purposes of showing what the increased expenditures are, it is important to note that a million dollars of that is because the aid can be raised. Another $1.3 million is from NYS retirement, and a million dollar increase in Medicaid local share.”
Landers credited increased sales tax, including gasoline sales tax, and a cash surplus for a decreased sales tax rate by 37 cents for the proposed $8.08 per $1,000 assessed value. According to county history, that’s the lowest tax rate in at least 26 years, though total appropriations have risen from $72.6 million in 1997 to nearly $182.8 million in this proposed budget.
That’s in the face of some steep financial bills moving forward as the county has a looming $150 million Phase 3 water project and $70 million new jail facility in progress with the tabs yet to be paid.
As of Dec. 31 of this year, the county will have an outstanding debt of $85.8 million for the Phase 2 water ($2.92 million), jail construction ($69.1 million), GCEDC STAMP water ($2.82 million), GCC athletic fields/gym/locker rooms ($175,000) and Wellness Center ($6.96 million), airport terminal construction ($2.9 million), and the Sheriff’s administration building ($920,000).
Landers gave examples of some department highlights and related cash infusions, including a couple of years ago, when there were some substantial and sizable increases for one-time projects that could not grow “without our support.”
“We once again asked if we wanted to keep that funding going on to demonstrate the need and demonstrate what that money would show as a return from the main investments. Examples are that we have our Jocelyn here from Cornell Cooperative, and we have the Ag in the Classroom program, which has been a huge success, so much so that she wants to expand upon that. There was a request to expand upon that, and in the 2024 budget, we're going to see if we can make that happen in 2025,” he said. “Workforce development that GCC has, we’ve been able to put in place, that these extra funds that the Legislature has been able to invest in is paying off in our community.
"GCC, we've asked them to continue on with just a $50,000 increase. I say that's less than 2 percent of what we contribute to GCC overall, and inflation is going up by much more than 2 percent. So I think that's still a very, very conscientious move for the Legislature to try to keep them limited to $50,000," he said. "Sometimes in the past we would say, no increase for several years in a row. And then we would have to catch up and have to do a large shock to our budget. So I think this is a very measured approach.”
He put $30 million in the budget for mandated services for social services and new jail needs, he said.The new jail facility required hiring six additional correctional officers and one full-time cleaner for a total of seven new positions, Landers said. Every new state-mandated post at the jail means five and half new positions, he said.
He hopes to recoup some of those expenses with boarding of inmates from the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, he said.
Genesee County used to have a more generous profit-sharing formula with its towns and villages, and with the three-phase water projects, that formula was recalculated two years ago that reduced that flattened the annual amount, a calculation that Schneider and other supervisors have critiqued in the past. This time Schneider said he just wants to be a gentle reminder that “we’re still here” and in need of funding whenever that might be possible.
Pembroke Town Supervisor Thomas Schneider Photo by Joanne Beck
“That's really all I had to say. The sales tax agreement was changed in 2018 because the county needed additional revenue. I don't think it solves anything to be too hard on anybody, but just the fact of the matter is it does put a hole in our budget, we've not increased our spending, our revenues have essentially decreased," Schneider said after the hearing. "So, you know, I just didn't want it lost on the legislature that it is still an impact. I don't want to tell anybody how to do their budget, I try to steer clear of telling other boards and groups how to do their job, but I think all budgets do have wiggle room in them.
"I don't think there's any changes at this point to it, other than just asking for more revenue sharing, because in the 2020 sales tax agreement, whenever that was passed, 2021, there was a possibility of additional revenue if the county had it available, so I just want to make sure we're not silent in the process, keeping in there,” he said.
The county invites public feedback, Landers and Legislative Chairwoman Shelley Stein said. The Legislature plans to have further budget sessions and is scheduled for a final vote on Nov. 20.
A 60-year-old Batavia man was struck and killed by a vehicle while he was attempting to cross the road on foot in the area of 4077 West Main Street Road, Batavia, at 6:55 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The victim has been identified as Robert M. Schryver.
The location is roughly between Delre's Greenhouse and the former Dibble Family Center, west of Colonial Boulevard.
According to the initial investigation, a 27-year-old Akron woman, Brittany Hill, was driving a 2020 Gray Volkswagon SUV westbound when Schryver reportedly crossed the road ahead of her vehicle.
Schryver sustained serious injuries and was transported to UMMC, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The accident investigation is continuing by the Crash Management Team and deputies. Town of Batavia Fire, Batavia PD, State Police, and Mercy EMS assisted at the scene.
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.
