Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its Garth Swanson Memorial Scholarship for 2023. This scholarship was created in honor of Garth Swanson, who was the Stafford Town Historian, a History professor at Genesee Community College, and a former board member and officer of the museum.

This $500 scholarship is open to any graduating senior in Genesee County planning on attending Genesee Community College or current student attending Genesee Community College and have an expressed interest in history or plan on working in the history field in the future

Completed applications should be mailed or emailed no later than May 1st. They can be emailed to Ryan Duffy at duffyhollandlandoffice@gmail.com. Or Mailed to Ryan Duffy, Executive Director, Holland Land Office Museum, 131 W. Main St., Batavia, NY 14020.

The application is available on both the museum’s website and Facebook page. You can also contact the museum for the application or further information.

Press Release:

Nominations will be accepted March 1 – May 15 for this year’s induction class of the Oakfield-Alabama Alumni Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding OACS alumni who have achieved distinction in their lives and chosen field after high school through significant contributions to their career, community or through personal achievements; to provide an incentive for current and future students.

If you know a person who meets the following criteria, please consider nominating him/her for this prestigious honor:

1. Nominees must be graduates of OACS or one of its predecessors or have been active in school classes and activities during their senior year. (Nominees who left school while in good standing to perform military service are also eligible. Deceased alumni are not eligible for induction until the fifth anniversary of the year of their death.)
2. Nominees must have graduated prior to 2008.

3. Selection is based on achievement after leaving OACS which includes a worthy record in more than one, and exemplary achievement in at least one of the following categories:

• Job-related achievements
• Professional honors and awards, professional affiliations, publications
• Civic or community involvement
• Personal achievements/accomplishments
• Positive impact on the communities in the Oakfield-Alabama school district
• Other appropriate qualifications which the committee believes merit consideration

Anyone may submit a nomination for any person meeting the criteria stated above. Nominations must be made during the nomination period only (March 1 – May 15, 2023) by using the Online Nomination Form or the PDF Nomination Form (see link below). Electronically submitted nominations are strongly preferred over mailed-in, hardcopy nominations.

Access the Online Nomination Form here.

Press release:

New York businesses and residents affected by Winter Storm Elliott that occurred Dec. 23-28 are eligible to apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The declaration covers Erie County and the adjacent counties of Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Niagara and Wyoming in New York. Businesses of all sizes, non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters with uninsured or under-insured losses from Winter Storm Elliott are encouraged to apply to the low-interest disaster loan program. The filing deadline is April 28 for physical damage and November 27 for economic injury.

Applications can be found online at: https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/

Two in-person locations have also been set up to assist those who need it to apply. Both locations are located in Erie County and close to applications Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 4 pm. You do not need to visit these locations to apply.

• Disaster Loan Outreach Center at Delavan Grider Community Center 877 E. Delavan Ave, Buffalo, NY 14215
• Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Disaster Loan Outreach Center at Erie County Training & Operations Center 3359 Broadway, Cheektowaga, NY 14227
• Hours: Monday-Friday,  9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

For more information, a “Disaster Loan Fact Sheet” is available online at:

https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/article/Disaster-Loan-Fact-Sheets 

Press release:

Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) hosted its second annual free food processing boot camp for 30 graduating Genesee County high school students, setting them up for high-wage-in-demand careers.

The three-day program featured industry experts educating students about the many job opportunities in the food processing industry. Participants received a “Cornell Food Processing Certificate,” which will give them an advantage when applying for jobs.

The food processing industry is Genesee County’s number-one employment field. Participating organizations included H.P. Hood, O-AT-KA Milk Products, Upstate Niagara, Yancey’s Fancy, and Nortera. After the success of the inaugural program last year, Genesee County has set a great example of what workforce development programs can do for a community.

“Genesee County offers hundreds of immediate job opportunities to well-trained, hard-working individuals, making it a blueprint for future educational programs,” said Dairy Foods Extension Program Director Kimberly Bukowski. “Thanks to the success of this initiative and funding provided by Governor Hochul’s new Office of Strategic Workforce Development, we intend to expand our workforce development program throughout the state.”

This is one of many successful programs Genesee County has hosted to prepare the next generation of workforce candidates for fulfilling careers in advanced manufacturing, agriculture, skilled trades, and more.

GCEDC VP of Business and Workforce Development Chris Suozzi said, “Genesee County has seen its workforce readiness investment pay off for years, as many businesses have relocated here because of our qualified candidates.” He added, “Leaders from local institutions such as the Workforce Development Institute, GCEDC, and Genesee Valley BOCES have been catalysts in preparing graduating seniors with the skills needed for industries in their backyard.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C - Batavia) is partnering with the American Red Cross to offer free Hands-Only CPR training to anyone in the district looking to learn. These 30-minute courses are designed to be quick, simple, and easy to learn and can make the difference between life and death for others. Hawley is glad to help educate the public on the skill.

“CPR training is an invaluable skill that could very well save lives, and we should all be pushing ourselves to learn it,” Hawley said. “I am grateful to the American Red Cross  for their partnership in this initiative, and I hope to see many of you out at this free event.”

The time and place of the training will be:

• Saturday, March 18, 9:00 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. at the Stafford Fire Department, 6153 Main Rd, Stafford
• Tuesday, March 21, 1:00 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. at the Albion Elks Lodge 1006, 428 W State St, Albion

Anyone interested in signing up should visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094aacac22a1f4c25-hands1?useFullSite=true#/ to sign up for the Stafford event. Those interested in participating at Albion should visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094aacac22a1f4c25-hands2?useFullSite=true#/. Space is limited, so interested parties are encouraged to apply early. For more information, call Assemblyman Hawley’s office at 585-589-5780.

Press release:

On Thursday, April 13, the Genesee County Youth Board will sponsor their 27th annual Youth Recognition Dinner at Terry Hills Restaurant & Banquet Facility. Twenty-five young people will be honored for their commitment to community service and/or their impressive role within their families. Additionally, the dinner will recognize an Adult Youth Worker and an Adult Youth Volunteer.

The following young people will be recognized for their outstanding service in the community and/or family: Brecken Capone, Caris Carlson, Mary Engelhardt, Katelynn Everett, Gabrielle Graff, Mary Grimes, Lily Haacke, Aubrey Hamm, Kaelee Kelso, Alaina Manges, Kathryn McClellan, Arianne McLaughlin, Maggie Monachino, Brenna Munn, Evelyn Northrup, Cesia Murillo Rios, Lauren Reimer, Olivia Walton and Maia Zerillo.

The following six youths are recipients of the Winter Storm Elliot Award, a recognition of a special group of young people who helped their community during a blizzard: Ayden Esten, Garrett Heale, Emily Hoag, Abigail Russell, Joey Schnitzer and Colton Walczak.

Robert Swanson is receiving the Adult Youth Worker Award from his colleague at Agri-Business Child Development Center for his countless hours going above and beyond expectations. “Bob the Builder,” as the youth at the center call him, provides a very caring and strong male role model for all. He is well respected retired veteran who is a huge asset to the team, but especially to the children and families of the center.

Kathryn Zipkin and her therapy dog, Tilly, are co-receiving the Adult Youth Volunteer Award for exhibiting exemplary dedication and commitment to the Batavia City School District. Kathryn and Tilly help young people learn emotional regulation to ensure successful focus in learning throughout the day. Their countless hours spent volunteering alongside the youth in the Batavia City School District are a valued and memorable service.

Registration and refreshments will begin at 5 PM, with the program and dinner following at 6 PM. Seating is limited, and your prompt reply ensures our ability to include you. If you are interested in attending the banquet, contact the Genesee County Youth Bureau at (585) 344-3960 no later than March 24, 2023. We’re excited to recognize these young people and leaders in our community and hope that you’ll join us.

Press release:

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is inviting everyone to their Lunch in the Dark Fundraising event, on Thursday, April 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will take place in the Gymnasium of the New York State School for the Blind, 2A Richmond Avenue in Batavia, NY 14020.

Participants will experience lunch in a darkened environment in order to better understand eating and socializing with vision loss.  As a group, we will talk about the best practices for making events with food more accessible, as well as strategies for eating with vision loss.  With a donation requested of $50 per ticket, the event includes a 50/50 split drawing and a Basket Raffle.

The BOCES Culinary Class will do the catering with a menu including Italian Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetable Medley (Carrots, Cauliflower, Broccoli), Risotto Cakes, and Panna Cotta.

To RSVP, contact Catherine DeMare at (585) 815-8501, extension 400.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region is a member of the Western New York Independent Living, Inc. family of agencies that offer an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Press release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) introduced the Property Tax Reduction Act, which would prevent state governments like New York from unfairly shifting state Medicaid expenses onto local county governments.

Congressman Nick Langworthy (R-NY) co-led this bill alongside Congresswoman Tenney. Congressman Brandon Williams (R-NY) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) are also original cosponsors.

New York is the only state in the country that requires local counties to pay a substantial portion of the state’s share of Medicaid funding, amounting to nearly $8 billion per year or nearly a quarter of the non-federal cost share for the program. 

This places enormous fiscal pressure on our local governments and has led to some of the highest property tax bills in the country. This arrangement also enables the state to inflate and expand both the scope and the cost of Medicaid since the state is not directly responsible for absorbing the costs associated with burdensome changes and unfounded mandates to the program. This mandate is among the reasons New York also has the highest per capita Medicaid expenditures nationwide; as of 2019, per capita Medicaid personal spending for New York is close to 7 times higher than that of California and 10 times higher than New Jersey.

In New York’s 24th Congressional District, this irresponsible funding scheme shifts a burden of at least $180 million onto our county governments annually. Counties raise most of these funds through property tax levies. Tenney’s bill would stop Albany from passing this Medicaid share onto counties, saving local taxpayers millions. 

“New York State leads the country with the highest rate of outmigration,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “This mass exodus directly corresponds with outrageous property taxes, forcing families and small businesses to relocate. One of the driving causes of this crisis is that New York’s 62 county governments have zero say in how New York’s Medicaid program is operated but are forced to pay a significant amount of its costs. This dysfunctional and unfair system burdens county governments, driving up costs for working families. It also lets Albany Democrats off the hook for reckless spending and gross mismanagement. I am reintroducing the Property Tax Reduction Act to require New York’s Democrat lawmakers to start taking responsibility for reckless spending and to prevent them from unfairly shifting costs to local property taxpayers and counties.”

Press release:

Sheriff William A. Sheron, Jr. announced that the Genesee County Emergency Services Dispatch Center (GCESDC) has implemented a new program called ASAP to PSAP.  ASAP stands for Automated Secure Alarm Protocol, and PSAP is Public Safety Answering Point, aka: the Genesee County Emergency Services Dispatch Center. 

Alarm monitoring companies can now send notifications electronically to the GCESDC, and that data will automatically be populated into the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) software.  This will eliminate the need for dispatchers to manually enter the information into CAD, which will expedite first responder response times by increasing data accuracy and eliminating miscommunications and the need for unnecessary phone calls between alarm companies and dispatchers.

Traditionally, alarm companies have had to contact the GCESDC by calling the non-emergency phone line to report a burglary, robbery, fire or medical alarm and dispatchers would then have to manually enter the information into the CAD software, which would routinely take 90 - 120 seconds to process.  Now, with ASAP to PSAP, that time will be reduced to approximately 5 seconds. 

The GCESDC is the 6th PSAP in the State of New York and the 123rd PSAP in the United States to implement ASAP.  The GCESDC went live on Monday, March 6, 2023, with several alarm companies, including Vector Security, Rapid Response Monitoring, Johnson Controls (Tyco), Stanley Security, Securitas, Protection One, Security Central, Affiliated Monitoring, Doyle, Guardian Protection, Brinks, Amherst Alarm, United Central Control, Vivint and ADT. 

The Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) was launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership including the following agencies:

• Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO)
• The Monitoring Association (TMA)
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI) - cooperatively developed protocols used for ASAP.
• International Justice and Public Safety Network (NLETS) – critical life safety signals network.

A Red-bellied woodpecker stopped at a tree outside the district office of Batavia City Schools today.

Photo submitted by Jason Smith.

For the 51st time on Saturday, the Chamber of Commerce presented awards to the people and places that make Genesee County a great place to live, work, and play.

The awards ceremony was held at Batavia Downs.

Super volunteer Norm Argulsky was named, for the second time (he received the award in the 1990s), Geneseean of the Year.

See: Chamber of Commerce Award: Geneseean of the Year, Norm Argulsky

GO ART! received the Special Service Recognition Award.

See: Chamber of Commerce Award: Special Service Recognition, GO ART!

Empire Hemp was honored as the Innovative Enterprise of the Year.

See: Chamber of Commerce Award: Innovation Enterprise of the Year, Empire Hemp

The Agricultural Business of the Year is Fenton Produce.

See: Chamber Awards: Agricultural Business of the Year, Fenton's Produce

Max Pies furniture was honored as the Business of the Year.

See: Chamber of Commerce Award: Business of the Year, Max Pies Furniture

Every dinner table at the event was adorned with a life-size cut out of Phil Pies' face.

Photos by Howard Owens

There was a birthday party at 400 Towers in Batavia on Sunday, with four of the residents celebrating their recent 90th birthdays and one, his 95th.

Pictured: Hazel Preedom, 90, Eleanor Day, 90, Julia Scalia, 90, Frank Aquino, 90, and Donald Hart, 95.

Photo by Howard Owens.

Just prior to a vote by City Council last month to approve Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Housing Compact, some council members asked to put on the brakes before giving the state carte blanche with such a mandate.

The original resolution gave the state control over local housing plans, which included requiring New York municipalities to increase their housing stock by 1 percent annually. A few paragraphs of the state’s resolution were redrafted, and council is expected to vote on the tweaked version during Monday’s business meeting. Those revisions now urge the state Legislature to reevaluate Hochul’s compact proposal and the potential impacts it would have on municipalities, especially in upstate communities, including Batavia.

The business meeting is set for 7 p.m. in the Council Board Room at City Hall.

Hochul has included the housing compact as part of her 2024 budget proposal, with a goal to build 800,000 housing units across New York State over the next decade. If approved, this measure would require cities, towns and villages in the state to achieve certain thresholds over three-year periods and require upstate municipalities to increase housing stock by 1 percent annually.

Batavia may be stripped of any local zoning, planning or land-use regulations powers if housing targets are not met and allow mixed-income multi-family projects to take advantage of a fast-track housing approval process, city leaders say.

Some of the focus of these documents includes more market-rate housing downtown, single-family homes in neighborhoods, condos for workforce renters and owners, and market-rate apartments throughout the city. There isn't enough market-rate housing for seniors and millennials in Batavia. There's a shortage of rentals Downtown.

The report from CZB consultants in 2008 showed there was no demand for additional affordable housing, contrary to what the city now has coming with Ellicott Station. Instead, there was a need for 187 homes in the $50,000 a year income range, which is now estimated, due to inflation, to be closer to $75,000 or higher, Tabelski said.

During that Feb. 27 meeting, Councilman Bob Bialkowski asked to change a couple of the governor’s proposed paragraphs because “some of this could be taken out of context,” he said.

“And the other thing is, the city of Batavia will continue to make significant investments in housing development … how much of an investment are we going to make? Over what period of time? Do we even have land to build more housing?”

Council members Rich Richmond and President Eugene Jankowski Jr. agreed, which prompted the resolution going back for revisions before a final vote.

“New home building and construction should not take priority over the well-being of residents and a community, which is what could be at stake if the new State Housing Approval Board is given overriding authority to local regulations, is part of the resolution for Monday’s vote.”

To answer Bialkowski’s question about land for housing, several areas have been identified, Tabelski said. Those are located on:

• Burke Drive
• Creek Park
• Swan Street / Harvester Avenue
• Former Armory site
• North Street/ Naramore Neighborhood
• Days Inn / Super 8 site
• Former Batavia Iron and Metal site
• Bank Steet/Alva Avenue
• JC Penney site / City Centre
• Harvester Center
• Flood plain properties
• Various zombie, abandoned houses
• Upper-floor residential opportunities

The STAMP site on the county’s west side has a need for owner-occupied units for moderate to high-income occupants, she said -- 382 new owner-occupied and 735 new rentals, with high-end growth needs of 941 new owner-occupied and 2,035 new rental needs.

So the governor is not off base with a projection for housing needs. It’s just that city leaders would like to maintain more control over how and where it happens and that it meets the consultants’ recommendations, such as the unmet demand for market-rate versus low-income housing units.

“Past studies have shown that there are different types of housing needs in the City Of Batavia — from downtown apartments to single-family homes.  However, land within the city is limited, so I think it’s important that each project be carefully planned,” Jankowski said.  “My bigger concern is that the Governor’s Housing Compact legislation has the potential for the State to take away, or usurp, local zoning control and undermine local government's home rule.  This could prevent or restrict the city (city residents) from managing their own community and instead be subject to state officials who don’t live here.”  

“But (we) can’t stress enough that local municipalities and local zoning/planning boards should be working with developers and local economic development agencies to develop strategies to provide adequate housing,” he said on behalf of Legislature Chair Shelley Stein and himself. “Genesee County is opposed to losing home rule control by having the state be able to “fast track” projects that don’t conform to local zoning.  We understand the state’s overall intent with this compact, to help provide more housing opportunities for New Yorkers that are struggling to find suitable affordable housing.  But it appears New York City and other large urban centers of New York are largely driving the need for this compact.”

County and city officials agree that housing must remain with local municipal comprehensive plans. Landers said the county’s Smart Growth Plan is still relevant today and is updated to address potential housing growth to match infrastructure and lessen the impact to green agricultural lands. Whereas the state is not.

“The population migration trends in Genesee County don’t match the Governor’s proposal,” he said. 

There’s time for public comments at the beginning of the meeting, and council is also scheduled to vote on resolutions to adopt a law to override the tax cap limit, adopt the 2023-24 budget, and establish new water and meter rates and a capital improvement fee.

Barbara, a girl born in 1948, did not like those choices in high school. She wanted to be a plumber like her dad.  Her father, Dwight, began his plumbing business at their home on South Main two years before Barb was born.

On her ninth birthday, she was given her first toolbox. Growing up, she loved nothing better than to watch her father work. In high school, she began working with her father and held onto her dream of following in his footsteps and becoming a plumber.

High school requirements presented problems for her. Girls were barred from taking shop. They were required to take home economics. For this future plumber, making a skirt was not high on Barb’s list of accomplishments. However, she was grateful that her mother was best friends with the home economics teacher. When Barb attached a piece of elastic to some material, her teacher gladly accepted her “skirt” and wished her well on becoming a plumber.

Her next assignment was to write a paper on a chosen topic.   She was an avid car racing fan and wrote about drag racing and driving. The book her report was based on was Dragging and Driving by Tom MacPherson.

Writing about something that interested her, she earned an A+ on her paper and the ticket to graduate and continue working with her dad as she had been doing during high school. 

After high school, rumor has it that Barb owned one of the faster cars around, and she could be seen in either her 1958 Chevy 348, one of the first big block motors, or in her 1969 SS Chevelle 396.

In August 1975, she became a licensed plumber. She is the first woman to be certified as a master plumber in New York State. To become a master plumber, Barb had to complete many stringent requirements. It takes ten years of experience to qualify for the master plumbers exam. An apprentice has to work under a master plumber for five years. Then, for the next five years, a journeyman plumber works full-time under the supervision of a master or licensed plumber. A plumber must understand and learn the nuts and bolts of the trade and be familiar with technical standards and all plumbing codes. Understanding the codes allows a plumber to keep buildings in the proper repair. Besides understanding all of the codes, a plumber must be able to draft diagrams to illustrate the work needed. 

The next step to becoming a master plumber is the exam. Barb and her brother Larry prepared for the plumbing exam by going back to school to learn the techniques needed to take the exam. As a result, she proudly owns the title of a master plumber, along with her brother Larry. 

Her mentor, teacher, and role model was her father, Dwight. Any training necessary to be a certified plumber had to be done under the supervision of a master plumber registered in the New York State Department of Labor. Barb and her brother trained under their father, a master plumber.

License numbers 16 and 24 have a special meaning to the Toal plumbers. Barb’s father, Dwight’s number was 16, and now Barb’s brother has their dad’s number. Barb’s license number is 24, a title she worked for and will proudly own for life.

In 1975, Dwight turned over complete management of his business to Barb.

Besides being a master plumber, Barb could run heavy machinery, lay pipes and work with a jackhammer. Some of her bigger jobs were the plumbing for Ebling Laundry on Ellicott Street and the installation of all bathrooms when the Holiday Inn added 58 new units to their existing inn. Then, on January 6, 1989, she became a plumbing inspector for Batavia, a job she would hold for 20 years. She also inspected the Town of Batavia, the Village of Oakfield, and the Town of Elba.

Barb retired in April 2010. She was also the Batavia Town Historian and created a video from 1802-1998 on our local history. She also wrote a book called Images of Batavia.

After her retirement, Barb was co-founder of the Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden, where she has been past president, project manager, and marketing.

She spends her winters in Charleston, SC, with her sister. Barb drives around Batavia in the summer months on her Honda Gold Wing motorcycle and serves hot dogs on Friday for the Peace Garden in the Holland Land Office Museum parking lot. Batavia is so fortunate and proud to have the first female master plumber in New York State from our city.

Photos courtesy Barb Toal.

A bicyclist has reportedly fallen and may have suffered a head injury on South Main Street, near the roundabout, in Batavia.

City Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 1:15 a.m.: I drove over to the roundabout for an update, and the scene was cleared when I arrived.  

Resurrection and Ascension parishes hosted their annual confirmation retreat on Sunday morning at St. Mary's in Batavia.

The class was led by Jason Smith and Ron Chrzanowski.

Smith said that Father Ivan offered a blessing after the 9:15 mass, and then candidates engaged in several activities, including making a coat of arms, and church collages symbolizing elements of the faith. They also studied the Corporal Works of Mercy, and presented their Saints in an interview style.

Candidates will be confirmed on May 28 at St Joseph’s Cathedral in Buffalo by Bishop Fisher. 

Submitted photos and information.

Pavilion's 42-40 loss came down to the closing minute of play against Randolph in the Class C Far West Regional Championship game at Buffalo State Sports Arena.

Karlee Zinkievich hit a three-pointer with 40 seconds left in the game to tie the score at 40-40. 

The Girls Basketball title game on Saturday, which determined which Class C team would advance to the state semifinal game, was decided on a two-point basket by the Cardinals with 12.3 seconds left.

The Batavian did not receive statistics for the game.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

The Alexander Air Rifle Team, which includes shooters from Perry High School, placed fourth, as representatives of Section V, this weekend at the NYS Invitational Shooting Competition in Lancaster.

Team members:

• Parker McGarvey
• Logan Church
• Liam Hyland
• Evan Gifford
• Garrison Butler
• Katelyn Green
• Devin Bubel

The coaches from Alexander are Tom Green and Brian Waite. The coaches from Perry are Dillon Hirsch and Nathan Paddock.

Photo and information submitted.