The HEALing Genesee Work Group, in collaboration with the City of Batavia Police Department, will be hosting a Drug Take Back Day next week at the Genesee Country Farmers Market.
The event is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. June 16 at the market, which is located in the parking lot next to the former JC Penney building at Bank Street and Alva Place.
“Typically, local law enforcement conducts take-back days in April and October, but we felt it important enough to provide an additional opportunity for the community to safely dispose of any unused or expired medications,” said Christen Foley, project director. “This is just another initiative of HEALing Genesee to help make our community a safer and healthier place.”
The HEALing Genesee Work Group is a component of the GOW (Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming) Task Force.
Foley said a table will be set up at the market to collect prescription medications. As required by New York State, law enforcement personnel will be on-site to assist in the collection process.
“We wish to thank our local police department for their partnership in this effort,” Foley added.
Workgroup representatives also will be on hand to provide Naloxone training and share other resources with residents.
An emergency executive order that was put in place for Genesee County out of “an abundance of caution” to protect the county doesn't mean that's the end of the discussion, county manager Matt Landers says.
Those orders with potential fines attached for accepting asylum seekers from New York City and beyond were and are an attempt to protect the county.
Now in the face of a lawsuit brought on by New York City against the county and about 30 other municipalities for taking this very action, Landers said that he’s always open to conversation.
“I am fully aware of the crisis that NYS and NYC are facing with the large influx of asylum seekers from the United State’s southern border. My phone line is open, and I am not against having an honest dialogue with anyone on what the capabilities are here in Genesee County,” Landers said Thursday to The Batavian. “Genesee County’s State of Emergency and Emergency Order were put in place out of an abundance of caution to prevent outside municipalities from shifting their burden onto Genesee County without first communicating and consulting with Genesee County officials.
“I want to emphasize that we have not turned anyone away because we have not been contacted,” he said.
He did not specifically address the lawsuit itself, as is typical for legal matters, other than he was not surprised to see it come his way.
Even dairy farmers know how to turn lemons into lemonade.
Volunteers had to act quickly Wednesday to reconfigure their annual Kinderfarmin' event at Hildene Farm in Pavilion after air quality concerns caused superintendents at eight of the 10 scheduled schools to cancel field trips.
"Agriculture never stops," noted organizer Natasha Sutherland, and neither do kindergarteners.
But students at the schools that didn't make the trip to Hildene got the important message about the connection between dairy farms and the milk they might pour over their cereal in the morning.
"We're excited that many volunteers were able to pivot with us because the idea was thrown out very quickly that we could take the day to the students," Sutherland said. "I've got volunteers driving milk and swag bags to schools. There are also virtual dairy tours available on the internet that they are currently watching."
Hildene Farm, with 1,250 dairy cows, hosted the event last year, too. The event takes about 100 volunteers to run with the typical participation of 10 school districts and more than 600 students.
The smaller group of children this year at the farm meant that each child got more individual attention and could spend more time at each of the educational stations set up on the lawn.
"The kids are getting so much more one-on-one impact and exposure," Sutherland said. "I'm hoping that the day is so much more impactful because they're getting everything truly catered to them as individuals. It's exciting to see their little faces light up, and the kids that are here are truly enjoying every bit of that."
Sutherland said the event builds lifetime memories for the children who attend.
"It is the highlight of the year for these kindergarten students," Sutherland said. "It's not just about dairy. It's about the whole breadbasket that is Western New York. We've got beef producers, we've got sheep, we've got goats, we've got lambs, we've got rabbits. We've got people spinning wool, and we've got giant articulated tractors for children to sit in. Today is all about connecting kids to their food."
Genesee County is the last county in the state that still hosts a Kinderfarmin' event as originally designed, with a visit to a dairy farm that includes hands-on educational activities that are also fun for the kids, Sutherland said.
"Everyone's kind of morphed it into something else, but we're the last one that still keeps it completely school focused, completely focused on the kindergarteners sticking to the core curriculum," Sutherland said. "We work really hard to make sure that these kids get the originally intended day as education first and foremost, not just play."
A child pedestrian has been involved in a motor vehicle accident in front of Batavia Middle School Thursday afternoon. The patient is breathing, conscious and alert.
The child was apparently crossing in the middle of a block on Washington Avenue near Ross Street when the accident occurred, according to city police Detective Eric Hill. It is not believed that the child sustained any serious injuries, and was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital as a precaution, Hill said.
Dispatchers have received a report of "multiple poles" taken down on Harvester Avenue.
A pole is reportedly down at Main and Harvester.
The cause of the accident is not stated.
City Fire responding.
UPDATED 3 p.m. by Joanne Beck: No poles are down on Harvester Avenue, and city fire is inspecting the poles on Harvester.
A tree-trimming truck seems to have caught some wires across Main Street and pulled them down. There are no poles down on Main Street, and the wires have been removed. Traffic is moving again along Main Street.
The New York State Department of Health recommends that with the reduced air quality, everyone should limit their outdoor activities to reduce exposure. Masks will be available to the public at the following locations in Genesee and Orleans Counties on Thursday, June 8th, 2023, during normal business hours until supplies last.
Genesee County- Business Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Emergency Management Office, 7690 State Street Road, Batavia
Old Courthouse, 7 Main Street, Batavia
Orleans County- Business Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Orleans County Administration Building, 14016 Route 31 West, Albion
The New York State Department of Health provides the following tips to stay safe:
Limit time outdoors
Keep windows and doors closed
Avoid strenuous activities outdoors, especially for those with asthma, allergies, and other respiratory health issues
Avoid prolonged exposure outdoors, especially for those with health vulnerabilities, such as cardiovascular disease or lung disease, and those who are pregnant
For those that must be outside for a prolonged period of time, wear a tight-fitting mask
Exposure to reduced air quality can pose negative health risks, including:
Irritation to eyes, nose, or throat
Coughing
Sneezing
Runny nose
Shortness of breath
Individuals with symptoms or related health concerns should contact their healthcare provider.
Genesee County, remains under an air quality health advisory, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.
The air quality seems to have improved over a significant portion of Western New York, but Genesee County and further east is still a hazardous area, according to the most recent report.
The air quality in Genesee County is still considered hazardous, according to the DEC.
The DEC held a press conference this morning to brief the public on the ongoing air quality situation caused by wildfires in Canada.
Commissioner Basil Seggos, a DEC commissioner, said all of New York State, with the exception of the Adirondacks, are under a health advisory.
Downstate is hardest hit, followed by Central New York, and WNY is enduring fewer pollutant particles in the air.
"We don't expect any relief in sight from the fires that are burning across the provinces," Seggos said.
There is no rain in the forecast for Canada or New York until next week. The rain could help with firefighting and clearing the air.
McDonald called on New Yorkers to limit, if not eliminate, campfires and open burns.
"We urge all New Yorkers to limit outdoor activity," Seggos said. "It's unhealthy for all New Yorkers. There are some groups, of course, who will experience greater conditions, greater health conditions, as a result of the smoke. We also urge New Yorkers to limit any kind of campfires they are burning. Not only are you potentially exacerbating local air quality issues, but this is a very dry state. We've been tracking a very dry state now for many weeks. We're looking at a prolonged period of dryness, which of course, gives rise to fire conditions here in New York, and we don't need our first responders running around putting out fires in New York."
James McDonald, the commissioner of the DEC, said all New Yorkers should take care to avoid exposure to the outside air, which is filled with fine particles from the fires. He said vulnerable people should especially stay indoors. This includes, but is not limited to, people with existing lung disease, some with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, people with heart disease, people with congestive heart failure, and people who have had a prior heart attack.
For those who feel the need for the protection, he recommended wearing an N-95 mask when walking outside.
"These masks do remove particles; they do remove air pollution, as some of you might remember from the pandemic," McDonald said. "N95 masks are sold at major big box hardware stores for a reason -- some people in the construction industry use masks like this because there are very effective at removing particles and keeping the air pollutant particles we're talking about, which are much larger than viral particles."
To get updates on air quality, he recommended visiting airnow.gov.
One city resident has apparently learned the hard way that Batavia’s new ordinance banning several types of farm animals is being taken seriously.
At least it is by her neighbors who were paying attention.
According to one witness, city police were called to the resident’s home after it was discovered she was still harboring a goat. The woman, Jill Turner of Batavia, had apparently hidden it in her house “so that no one knew she still had it” after the May 15 ordinance date took effect.
This witness heard the goat one particular morning, and fellow neighbors had seen it before someone reported it to the police.
Police Chief Shawn Heubusch confirmed that there are “multiple charges” against goat owner Jill Turner of Burke Drive. Witnesses have also told The Batavian that Turner was screaming at a neighbor, “You’re dead, I’m going to (expletive) kill you.” Names are being withheld for fear of retaliation.
Hardly the first go-round for this neighborhood, Turner, at one point, had at least four goats, one or more chickens, and other domestic pets at her home. Neighbors had complained last year about the noise, smell, mess and fear that the animals created for them. That was a primary reason for why discussions came up about having farm animals in the city.
After public discussions with City Council and a public hearing, council voted to adopt the new ordinance banning most farm animals from city limits.
City Manager Rachael Tabelski said the city’s Code Enforcement Department has not issued any citations as of yet and will follow up for any complaints received through the proper code violation process.
Heubusch said a press release for Turner's charges had not yet been approved, so it had not been sent out by late Wednesday evening.
As a reminder, the amended zoning ordinance to restrict animals and fowl on city property includes:
A. Subject to the limited exceptions set forth herein; No person shall own, bring into, possess, keep, harbor or feed farm animals, cloven-hoofed animals, equine or fowl including, but not limited to, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, swine, llamas, alpacas, ducks, turkey, geese , ponies, donkeys, mules or any other farm animal within the City limits.
B. Subject to the limited exceptions set forth herein; No person shall own, keep, harbor, or feed wild animals, wild fowl (ducks, turkey, or geese) within the City limit.
C. Subject to the limited exceptions set forth herein; No person shall breed or maintain any farm animals, cloven-hoofed animals, equine or fowl including, but not limited to, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, swine, llamas, alpacas, ducks, turkey, geese, ponies, donkeys, mules or any other farm or wild animal within the City limit.
Exceptions:
(a) A maximum of six (6) hen chickens may be kept as long as that they are penned appropriately, do not accumulate feces, cause odor, or an unsightly or unsafe condition.
(b) Harborage, including transport to and from race tracks and all associated grounds
(c) Special events with the approval of an event application.
(d) Animals in transit through the City.
(e) Transport to and from veterinary hospitals/clinics, including short-term boarding for medical procedures/conditions.
D. No person shall permit an accumulation of animal and/or fowl feces on any property resulting in a foul odor or unsightly condition that makes travel or residence in the vicinity uncomfortable or which attracts flies or other insects or animals, thereby creating an unsanitary condition and may facilitate the spread of disease or which endangers the public comfort and repose.
The date of May 15 gave residents a six-month grace period from the time of adoption.
Genesee County Manager Matt Landers last month when he issued an executive order banning busloads of undocumented immigrants. Photo by Joanne Beck.
A New York City lawsuit so fresh that Genesee County Manager Matt Landers had yet been able to review the entire scope of it before providing comment Wednesday afternoon hits up 30 upstate municipalities, including Genesee County, seeking to invalidate their executive orders barring undocumented immigrants from entering their locales.
Landers had first issued a State of Emergency on May 17 “out of an abundance of caution” after word had it that busloads of immigrants were potentially being sent this way. Locally it began first with Orleans County, followed by Genesee, and one by one, counties began to jump on board with their own executive orders throughout Western New York and beyond.
Filed on Wednesday, the lawsuit claimed that those emergency orders obstructed NYC’s efforts to relocate migrants “in a manner that is explicitly permitted by law and required by a statewide emergency,” according to a news release.
The lawsuit asks the state Supreme Court to invalidate the emergency orders filed by the counties under the grounds that they are unconstitutional. It also asks to prohibit the locales from taking steps that "restrict or frustrate" New York City's efforts to address a statewide emergency, which Gov. Kathy Hochul declared on May 9.
The lawsuit claims the emergency orders are unconstitutional because the orders seek to impede the rights of people who are legally within the borders of the United States as asylum seekers to travel and use public accommodations. The suit argues that the prohibitions are impermissible because they target people based on their national origin, citizenship, or immigration status, which violates the Constitution.
Moments prior to Landers issuing the county’s State of Emergency in May, the Legislature conducted an executive session to discuss the matter after Orleans County declared its own emergency. That seemed to be the tipping point, Landers had said at the time.
“Well, a lot of it was just meetings with various stakeholders; Orleans County issuing their state of emergency was probably a prompt. Because of that, we took notice of that. There was a lot of speculation that raised our concerns about how easily a group of asylum seekers could end up at our doorstep without us even knowing,” Landers said. “So I guess it was our vulnerability that came to light of how simple and how easy and how fast that could happen, that we wanted to have this in place, in case that were to happen.
“So that was probably some of the prompts that happened throughout the day that caused us to take this action,” he had said.
“This is more to get a better handle on control in Genesee County and have the situation to an abundance of caution to be able to respond to a situation where we're not aware of asylum seekers coming to our community, there’s channels out there, and I do have confidence in the governor's office, through their representative, that they would try to reach out to us if there was a group that was heading to Genesee County, but there's different avenues of which that they can come from and it's not all through the governor's office,” Landers said. “So I am in consultation with the governor's office and, and the representative has been very forthcoming and upfront with me, and I think we've got a great working relationship. But that's only one piece of the puzzle. So the state of emergency is kind of trying to cover multiple scenarios, you know … And, again, we'll evaluate the state of emergency in the next five days and see if we've covered everything, and maybe we strengthen it, modify it, or let it expire.”
The Local State of Emergency was declared for Genesee County due to New York City's program to rapidly increase the number of migrants in this County to unsustainable levels, he had said.
“Pursuant to NYS Executive Law § 24, when a State of Emergency is in effect, the County Manager may promulgate local emergency orders to protect life and property or to bring the emergency situation under control.
Fines were threatened, especially to local hotels and motels that might consider taking in any busloads of immigrants, of up to $2,000 a person.
By the time the county had extended the executive order for the third round, Batavia First Presbyterian Church stepped up and offered to provide comfort in the form of food, clothing and/or shelter for any immigrant in need.
Landers had said that could create issues for the county, and he asked that church leaders reach out to discuss the situation with him.
Landers said that he would respond to The Batavian's request for comment once he was more familiar with the lawsuit.
On June 3rd-June 4th from Dusk to Dawn the Byron-Bergen Track & Field team hosted their second Over Night Relay. Students started running the track at 8:46 p.m. and stopped at 5:34 a.m.
Both boy's and girl's teams had a baton that they had to keep moving at all times throughout the night. Each hour there were fun activities occurring as well.
The results:
The girl's team ran 305 laps, totaling 76 1/4 miles
The Corfu-Pembroke Dollars for Scholars will be announcing the receipt of a $300,000 donation (Vernon J. Rupert Memorial Endowment Scholarship) to our organization to support scholarships for graduating Pembroke students.
The senior awards ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday in the high school auditorium. News information will be provided at 6:30 p.m. in the school auditorium by the Dollars for Scholars Board of Directors and school administration.
Currently, the Corfu-Pembroke Dollars for Scholars (DFS) awards 24 scholarships to scholars annually. The addition of this new gift will allow us to more than double the financial awards to graduating students.
These new funds will be used to create and support FIVE- $5,000 annual awards for students pursuing trade school careers, 2-year associate degrees, and 4-year college or university studies.
In the last 14 years, the Corfu-Pembroke DFS chapter has awarded 186 scholars over $145,000 for college study. This year DFS is awarding $19,300 to graduating Pembroke seniors.
2023 Rotary Scholarship recipients. From left to right: Hannah Spencer GVEP LeRoy HS; Courtney Daniel, Notre Dame HS and Lauren Reimer, Batavia HS
Press Release:
The Rotary Club of Batavia has awarded college scholarships of up to $6,000 to each of the three local students. This year's Rotary Scholarships were awarded to: Hannah Spencer, Genesee Valley Educational Partnership (GVEP), LeRoy; Courtney Daniel, Notre Dame High School and Lauren Reimer, of Batavia High School. 25 applications were received for 2023 rewards, according to Andrea Aldinger, co-chairperson of the Rotary Scholarship Committee.
“Narrowing the selection down to three was close to impossible,” Aldinger said, “after all the interviews, it still was unclear as these students were so incredibly talented.” She noted that many of the students had already achieved their Associate's Degree before graduating high school.
The Rotary Scholarship program began more than 40 years ago. Each year one student is selected from Notre Dame HS, Batavia HS, and the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, formerly known as BOCES. Rotary awards each student $1,500 per year for four consecutive years as long as the student maintains a GPA of at least 3.0.
Committee Co-chair Mike Hodgins said at any one time, as many as 12 students are receiving annual awards totaling $18,000. The program is funded by various Rotary events throughout the year. The scholarships were awarded during a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Batavia. The students and their parents were invited to attend.
Hannah Spencer, who attends LeRoy HS, told Rotarians that she studied with the Justice Academy at GVEP. She plans to pursue a Nursing Degree at GCC and transfer to another school for a Bachelor’s degree.
Scholarship winner Lauren Reimer of Batavia High School said she plans to pursue a medical degree at the University of Albany. She earned an unweighted cumulative high school average of 99.65%. Lauren will graduate high school with honors and has already earned an Associate’s Degree from GCC.
Courtney Daniels, Notre Dame’s awardee, is set to study Political Science at Fordham University. She was a member of the National Honor Society and attended The NY Governor’s Youth Council as a representative for Wyoming County. Her ultimate goal is to become a New York State senator.
Two previous winners attended this year's ceremony to update the club on how they were able to use their Rotary Scholarships. Carissa Kesler used her scholarship to buy a laptop computer in 2019 when the COVID pandemic hit. She said it was her pipeline for remote learning at GCC and later at SUNY Brockport. “With the help of Rotary, I graduated with no student debt,” Carissa said.
Taylor Sanders attended Niagara University and is now pursuing her medical degree at LECOM in Bradenton, Florida.
Photos submitted by Dan Fischer
From left to right: Carissa Kesler, Hannah Spencer, Courtney Daniel, Lauren Reimer and Taylor Sanders
Sen. George Borrello issued a statement regarding his sponsorship of critical legislation that will fix a problem that has emerged regarding the distribution of Nourish NY funds to regional food banks due to a misguided administrative action by the Department of Health.
Senator Borrello helped spearhead the effort to make Nourish NY a permanent state program, through his advocacy and sponsorship of legislation in 2021 codifying the program into law.
The statement reads:
“The effort to establish the COVID-era farm-to-food bank program Nourish NY as a recurring state program was driven by a desire to help food insecure New Yorkers and struggling farmers. This innovative effort established a process for our state’s regional food banks to purchase healthy and fresh New York State-sourced dairy, meats and produce for families in need with state funding.
I was proud to be one of the champions of this effort. Both the funding and operational processes were working well until September 2022 when the Department of Health unexpectedly merged the Nourish NY funding with the funding for the Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP), without any explanation or warning.
The resulting Request for Funding (RFA) process was terribly flawed and did not account for the vastly different purpose, guidelines, and eligibility of each program. This led to steep funding cuts for some regional food banks, which is unacceptable. Nourish NY is one of those rare policy initiatives that was a ‘win’ for everyone. We cannot let a botched administrative action undermine its ability to help food-insecure New Yorkers and our farmers.
That is why I am co-sponsoring Senate Bill 7533, which would fix this error by clarifying that all Nourish NY funds are to be allocated to regional food banks, as originally intended. I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this critically needed legislation before we adjourn.”
On Monday, June 5, 10 Batavia High School students signed with their perspective colleges for the fall.
JULIA PETRY: Daemen University / Track and Field. Back: Nick Burk, Rich Boyce, Bill Buckenmeyer. Front: LJ Petry, Julia Petry, John Petry
SHAWN KIMBALL: Genesee Community College / Baseball Front: Patrick Kimball, Shawn Kimball, Evan Kimball
AIDAN ANDERSON: USMA at West Point / Sprint Football. Back: Ava Anderson, Korinne Anderson, Mike Anderson, Brennan Briggs. Front: Aidan Anderson
NATHAN CANALE: St. John Fisher University / Cross Country, Track. Back: Rich Boyce, Nick Burk, Bill Buckenmeyer. Front: John Canale, Nathan Canale, Cindy Canale
CODY HARLOFF: SUNY Brockport / Cross Country, Indoor & Outdoor Track and Field. Back: Rich Boyce, Nick Burk, Bill Buckenmeyer. Front: Della Martinez, Cody Harloff, Shabi Gard, Rosella Williams
NOAH PICKARD: SUNY Oneonta / Cross Country, Track and Field. Back: Andrew Pickard, Rich Boyce, Nick Burk, Bill Buckenmeyer. Front: Jack Pickard, Noah Pickard, Karen Pickard, Bill Pickard
ABBY MOORE: SUNY Geneseo / Track and Field. Back: Rich Boyce, Nick Burk, Bill Buckenmeyer. Front: Abby Moore, Cassandra Moore
JAKALYA RIVERA: University at Buffalo / Competitive Cheer. Front: Kanaya Rivera, Jakalya Rivera, Essence Rivera
GARRETT SCHMIDT: Grove City College / Football. Back: Dan Schmidt, Shannon Schmidt, Brennan Briggs. Front: Garrett Schmidt
Muckdogs first baseman Henry Daniels picks a throw out of the dirt in the first inning of Tuesday's game against Niagara Power for a putout. Photo by Howard Owens.
The leaders of Minor League Baseball, and, by extension, Major League Baseball, didn't think Batavia could support a professional baseball team, and those Lords of the game looked for years for an opportunity to relocate the New York-Penn League's founding member to another city.
That search for new ownership and a new venue lasted until MLB just got tired of the entire MiLB structure and shut down the historic NYPL.
Author William Bardenwerper "The players aren't as gifted, but you could make the argument that games are a lot more fun to watch." Bardenwerper’s book on baseball, which will feature the Batavia Muckdogs, is about 3/4 finished and he expects it to be on store shelves in the fall of 2024. Submitted photo.
MLB and MiLB leaders blamed the fans of Batavia, the region, and Dwyer Stadium itself for the lack of fan interest in the teams they were putting on the field.
After all, they were bringing "prospects" to Batavia; young men with at least some slim chance of getting in a few major league innings before they moved on to other careers. And once in a while, if you came to Dwyer Stadium often enough, you might get to see a future star pass through. That should be enough, was the seeming assumption of baseball executives.
Turns out, maybe the problem wasn't the fans after all. Nor the facility. Maybe the problem was that assumption.
Maybe the men and women brought in to run the team, the leaders of the leagues, and the management of the MLB affiliates, which included, in recent years, the Cardinals and the Marlins, just didn't do the right things to generate fan interest in the game.
After head groundskeeper Cooper Thomson turned the turf of Dwyer Stadium into an All-Star Game-worthy surface, it still wasn't enough to keep the team in Batavia, and fans seemed to know it. They continued to only attend home games sporadically. A night of 1,000 people in the stands was a good night. It usually took Friday night fireworks to pack in more than 1,500 people.
On Tuesday night, 2,877 baseball fans held tickets for a Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League between two teams with rosters filled with young players who are far less likely, on average, to ever play a professional game, let alone reach the major leagues.
On Sunday, attendance was 2,808.
For the home opener on Saturday, attendance was perhaps a record for organized baseball in Batavia: 3,711.
Perhaps Rob Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, who oversaw the destruction of the minor league system, should talk without Robbie and Nellie Nichols, the current owners of the Muckdogs, about how to promote baseball in a small town.
The main difference between the affiliated Muckdogs and the collegiate Muckdogs, William Bardenwerper told The Batavian before Tuesday's game, is the collegiate players are fan-friendly. They're out in the community. They talk with fans at games. They're friendly with the kids, always.
And that's by design. From the day he arrived in Batavia in 2021, Robbie Nichols has talked about wanting players on his team who are willing to make themselves part of the community for the two summer months they're in Batavia.
Manager Joey Martinez wants to recruit the best baseball talent he can, and he thinks he and his staff have built a special and talented team for 2023, but he told The Batavian in a pre-season interview that character is also part of the recruiting evaluation.
"We try to just get guys that are going to come into this community and be a part of it," Martinez said. "(We want them to) represent the Muckdogs name everywhere and every day."
Bardenwerper said that community commitment is obvious and it's paying dividends.
"Robbie and Nellie, the owners, as well as Joey Martinez, as manager, have fostered a community spirit," Bardenwerper said. "It's part of their responsibility in the summer to do everything they can to be there for the community, to support the community.”
Bardenwerper is a non-fiction writer who is working on a book that will look at the demise of the New York Penn-League through the lens of the Batavia Muckdogs.
He spent a good deal of time in Batavia last season, attending games, interviewing fans, and getting to know the community and its love of baseball. He wasn't around in the affiliated-Muckdogs days, but he's seen the community embrace the collegiate Muckdogs.
He said professional minor league players tend to be more distant. They quickly grow accustomed to playing before larger crowds, so they're less engaged with the fans.
"These players (the current Muckdogs) love interacting with the fans," Bardenwerper said. "They're often from smaller schools where they might get 100 people in the stands. Now they're playing in front of thousands of people.”
There's no doubt, Bardenwerper said, the quality of play isn't the same. There are fewer pitchers throwing 95 mph, fewer home runs, and more errors, but collegiate baseball at this level has its advantages for baseball fans, as well, the writer noted.
"Joe Maddon (former major league manager) wrote that 35 percent of the at-bats in major league games these days, you do not need anybody on the field except a pitcher, a catcher and a batter (because 35 percent of at-bats now end in a strikeout or a home run), and until this year, because of the pitch clock, baseball became slow," Bardenwerper said. "This baseball, the kind you see at these games, is like a throwback to what you used to see at games. You see steals. You see hit-and-runs. You see more extra-base hits.
Joey Martinez is an aggressive manager. There's more action on the basepaths. There's nobody with statistics, a spreadsheet, and a computer telling the manager every decision he should make. This is more like going back and watching a baseball game in the 1980s. The players aren't as gifted, but you could make the argument that games are a lot more fun to watch."
If not for the pandemic, Bardenwerper wouldn't be writing about the Muckdogs. In 2019, he pitched his publisher on writing a book about the Appalachian League. He was going to visit all those small towns in 2020, get to know them and their teams, and chronicle small-town baseball through that lens. But the 2020 season got canceled by COVID, and by 2021, neither the Appalachian League nor the New York-Penn League existed.
Eliminating those leagues, at least according to the explanations given by MLB leaders, Bardenwerper said, made little sense. The excuse given was MLB wanted to protect their precious and expensive talent from 12-hour bus trips and substandard stadiums. While those might be valid complaints in leagues out west, it wasn't true of leagues in the Northeast. For the most part, even in the NYPL, which had expanded its boundaries in recent years, teams were within a few hours of each other, and with a couple of exceptions in the Appalachian League, playing conditions were good.
"The reasons offered for contraction were disingenuous and not consistent with the teams that were contracted," Bardenwerper said.
But what has become MLB's loss has become Batavia's gain, especially for young fans who are made more a part of the atmosphere at Dwyer Stadium. Kids can get autographs, baseballs, and batting gloves from players at any time, even while there's action on the field. Young fans are never told not to bother players in the dugouts and bullpens. The players never act like they don't hear the kids, turn a cold shoulder and walk away.
And that's an important part of the connection with the community, Bardenwerper said.
"The kids don't know the difference between these college kids and the next Bryce Harper," Bardenwerper said. "They just see these guys in cool uniforms signing autographs."
Given the fan-friendly atmosphere at Dwyer these days, it's doubtful many fans walked away from Tuesday's game dissatisfied, even though the home team fell to 2-2 on the young season with a loss to Niagara Power, 3-1.
Photos by Howard Owens. For more photos and to purchase prints, click here.
Third baseman Giuseppe Arcuri is unable to come up with a hot smash off the bat of Brett Johnson in the second inning. The hit went for double and scored Powers' first run. Photo by Howard Owens.
Alexander High School grad Ty Woods, now a GCC student, started and gave up only one run and four hits in six innings of work. He fanned three hitters but didn't factor in the decision. Photo by Howard Owens.
Second baseman Lucas Lopez with an assist in the second inning.
Giuseppe Arcuri was hit by a pitch in the second inning. Photos by Howard Owens
Catcher Brice Mortillaro snags a strike from Ty Woods. Photo by Howard Owens.
Rashad Robinson with a stolen base in the fourth inning. Photo by Howard Owens
Rashad Robinson on third base after his second SB of the fourth inning, with Manager Joey Martinez. Photo by Howard Owens
Holland Land Office Museum on West Main Street in Batavia is on the priority list for upgrades, and is closer to reality with a 20-year lease agreement between the county and Holland Purchase Historical Society. File Photo by Howard Owens.
A 20-year property lease will provide the assurance for Holland Purchase Historical Society to move forward with plans for Holland Land Office Museum’s eventual restoration and expansion on the west side, Executive Director Ryan Duffy says.
The nonprofit’s board has been pursuing a capital project and related survey; however, nailing down an agreement that the Society would retain rights to the property throughout the project was an integral part of the process before moving forward, Duffy said after approval by the Human Services Committee on Monday.
“So this is an important piece to allow us to pursue funding for the dream of the addition, as we have to be able to show extended occupancy,” he said. “So having this lease allows us to do that and allows us to go after bigger grants.
“We’re going to have to get major funding through grants in order to pursue this project," he said. "So that’s why this lease agreement was very important.”
He couldn’t — or wouldn’t — disclose any other details about the project and a related timeline for grant funding, restoration and potential construction of a welcome center.
Last year county legislators approved the bid of $43,324 from consultant Wendel of Williamsville to conduct a restoration study of each nook and cranny of Holland Land Office Museum to determine what its future needs might be. The consultants were going to assess “functionality issues” of the West Main Street, Batavia, site, according to county Highway Superintendent Tim Hens.
“It’s a full, comprehensive look at the building,” Hens had said at the time. “And it should give us a road map of what we need.”
The Batavian checked back in with Hens this April to find out how that study was progressing, and he said it was still ongoing. County Attorney James Wujcik has also been working with the Historical Society’s board to finalize a lease agreement.
As County Manager Matt Landers explained, the project will require a substantial amount of grant funding, and “they just want assurances that we don't give the building away or sell it on them.”
"I am supportive of it. Jim was able to find the ability for us to do this over the course of 20 years. With an out clause that we still have built into it,” Landers said.
Board members and legislators said that, in addition to the other purposes it serves, they would also like to see the museum become a polling site in the future.
Legislator Marianne Clattenburg was on board with future plans and happy to see the work that it’s taken to get here so far.
"I just want to say thank you to whoever was involved for having this come to fruition. The plans that they have are pretty impressive; I think many things we've seen for future generations, and it's a source of pride in our history,” Clattenburg said. “And also, it's a very significant educational tool for students that come through there. I know they want to expand on that, expanding progress and all that, so this is like the first step, and I wish them all the luck in the world getting what they need.”
The agreement states that the county agrees to lease to the Historical Society the premises commonly known as the Holland Land Office Museum located at 131 West Main Street, Batavia, NY.
The Historical Society will lease the entire two-story Holland Land Office Museum building and its east and west wings, totaling 6,132 square feet and shall have the right to use the west side parking lot in common with other visitors and uses, for a period of 20 years, from June July 1, 2023 to May 31, 2043.
This Agreement is contingent on the continuous and uninterrupted maintenance and operation of the Museum.
Holland Land Office Museum from the west side next to the parking lot, where a prospective welcome center may be located. File Photo by Howard Owens.
Statement from Batavia City School District Superintendent Jason Smith:
Dear BCSD Families and Community,
As you may have seen on the news, experts believe the air quality issues we’ve been experiencing due to the fires in Canada will continue in the coming days.
Therefore, all BCSD outdoor activities are canceled on Wednesday, June 7
We are in talks with Section V regarding tomorrow’s Sectional Flag Football game. As of right now, the game is scheduled to go on as planned, but please keep an eye on our BCSD Facebook page for the most up-to-date information, as the status may change.
We’ll continue to provide district-wide updates should the air quality issues continue. I’ve also discussed the situation with our Buildings and Grounds team, and they assure me there are no concerns with indoor air quality at this time.
For additional information on the status of individual school-based activities, like class field trips, you will get more information from your child’s school directly. Please reach out to your child’s main office if you have any questions.
Thank you.
Jason Smith
Superintendent of Schools
UPDATE 10:11 p.m.: The Batavian has asked other district superintendents for their plans for Wednesday. We will update this post and information is released to us.
Le Roy: Superintendent Merritt Holly said that the district's participation in the Kinderfarmin event in Pavilion, an outside event, has been canceled. Also, physical education classes and recess activities will also remain inside unless the projected air quality levels improve.
UPDATE June 7 at 9 a.m.:
Oakfield-Alabama: Superintendent John Fisgus sent the following message to the school community: "The recent forest fires in Canada have significantly impacted the air quality in our WNY region. Based upon the guidance we have received from our various health and weather authorities and out of an abundance of caution, we will be limiting all outdoor activities today, Wednesday, June 7." Some information for today: The ES KInderfarming trip has been canceled. All outdoor activities (recess, PE classes) are canceled for today. Students will remain indoors. The HS Sports Awards Ceremony will continue tonight as scheduled.
Elba: From Superintendent Gretchen Rosales, "We have been carefully monitoring the air quality index and have been in contact with the Department of Health regarding safe practices for our students and staff. At this time, we have postponed one outdoor field trip and are holding PE and recess indoors today. Otherwise, we are holding off on wider cancellations as the air quality index can fluctuate. While we are taking a wait-and-see approach, we also encourage our Lancer family to always make the best decisions for their children; should any parent or guardian wish to have their child remain indoors for the time being, we will certainly honor their decision."
UPDATE 1:25 p.m.: Elba is holding all activities indoors.
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.
