However, she’s not in a position to change what is happening due to New York State’s requirement that assessments are reviewed on a yearly basis and her office’s goal of achieving a 100 percent sale price-to-assessment ratio.

Saulsbury (photo at right) was at City Council’s Business Meeting tonight seeking to explain the inner workings of the assessment process in light of the numerous complaints she – and Council members – have received from city residents about the preliminary assessment notices that were mailed out last week.

Following up a comment by Council member Paul Viele, who called the state’s real property tax law “a disgrace,” Saulsbury acknowledged that the timing for yet another increase is not good.

“People are suffering; people are struggling with the pandemic, their finances, maybe their job, their children being home for so long – there’s so many things feeding into it, and I'm the one person that they can get a hold of and talk to,” she said.

“I do my best to explain it. We have New York State real property tax law for a reason. And unfortunately, New York State, as everybody in this room knows, is a heavy homeowner tax burden state. So, we have to follow those guidelines … It's kind of a vicious cycle for sure.”

In her 12^th year as the city assessor, Saulsbury (who also handles the same duties for the Town of Batavia) said assessments change for only two reasons – equalization, meaning sale price-to-assessment ratios are growing apart, and for physical reasons, meaning something’s changed with the property, taken away or added.

“The culmination of a yearlong project is, of course, an assessment update,” she said. “And this year, we're in the thankless position to be in our fourth year in a row with really high increases across the board throughout the county, including the city.”

Saulsbury said the city started out at plus 4 – “meaning that our ratios were off 4 percent and above, four years ago,” she said – and it increased to plus 6 and eventually to plus 11.

“Just to kind of put that in perspective, in years’ past, the city was either zero or plus one,” she said. “The city's growth has grown exponentially over the last four years, which in itself is a good thing, but in my position, not a good thing.”

She said if property owners whose assessments have gone up decide to seek an informal review or appear at Grievance Day (May 26), she will explain, with current data, how she came to the assessment figure.

“For anyone who got an assessment increase, we can show you the five sales that we actually use for your home or your business,” she said. “It's not throwing darts at a dartboard as some people may think. It's actually quite a science and it's all based on our assessment-to-sale price ratio throughout the year.

“So, when you have 300 or 400 residential sales, in particular, and the sale price is 40, 50, 60, 80,000 dollars above the assessment, we then have to do an assessment project.”

Council member Robert Bialkowski asked that if sale prices dropped by 8 percent, for example, would that trigger another reassessment.

“It’s the same state guideline; we have to hit the same thing,” Saulsbury replied. “We have to maintain assessments at market value. We're at 100 percent market value, so if the sales actually were to dip – and most people don’t believe me – we would have to adjust to those, also. In our case, it has been up and we want it to be up or to be flat. I've never experienced anything where we had to reduce.”

Saulsbury said the state rewards the city periodically for achieving assessments based on 100 percent of market value, and expects to receive around $18,000 this year to help offset costs of conducting assessment projects.

Council member John Canale, who says he follows the real estate market on a daily basis, remarked that he’s not convinced that homes went up so much in value in one year.

“… people are calling me this year and saying, ‘I thought last year, you were up to 100 percent market value. I’m an intelligent man, you can't tell me that the housing market is going up that much more since 2021.’”

Still, he said he knows that Saulsbury isn’t the one to blame.

“You’re walking around with a target on your back right now. And I wouldn't want to be you. Unfortunately, a lot of people think you're the one that's making these decisions,” he said. “It’s very important that the public realize that no, you're basically the messenger. You’re hired to do a job and you're conducting the way you do your job by state requirements.”

Bialkowski said it comes down to “people don't trust the government anymore.”

“I have a friend, and on Saturday I met with him and he spent about 10 minutes just screaming at me,” he said. “He said, I’ll bet you $100 right now that you people don't reduce your budget enough that my taxes stay the same.’ And I said, ‘Well, there's three entities in here (Genesee County and the Batavia City School District being the others), you know, and I said we set our budget -- we're very conservative in the city and all that.’

“But I suppose there's other entities I'm not going to speak for, but they just lost trust in their government. And they've seen it and heard it before, and yet their individual tax bills keep increasing.

“And their homes. They need to do more work on them. And they need furnaces and new windows and all that. And they're starting to say, the guy the other day, it's starting to look really good (about leaving the state). He's going to move down south. He’s just fed up with the whole state and I can’t blame him.”

Previously: With property values rising, City prepares for annual assessments.

(This article provides information on how residents can challenge their assessments).

LEGAL NOTICE:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held by the Town of Batavia Planning Board regarding an application for a Special Use Permit by Benderson Development, LLC to construct two buildings to be used for retail/restaurants and 2 drive-thru lanes with a total of 10,752 sq. ft.  This is in a Commercial District at 8363 Lewiston Road in the Town of Batavia, Tax Map Number 8-1-21.2.

Said hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 19th at the Batavia Town Hall, 3833 West Main St. Rd., Batavia, New York at 7:00 p.m. at which time all interested persons will be heard.   Written comments will be accepted prior to that date.  A copy of the application is on file at the Town Hall for review.  Notice of Public Hearing has been printed in the Batavia Daily News.

NOTE TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS: While state law grants print publications a monopoly on legal notices, The Batavian publishes legal notices for free (publication in The Batavian is not certified but you will reach more people).  Please send legal notices to news@thebatavian.com.

Press release:

Madison “Maddie” Masters died unexpectedly on September 25th, 2020 at the age of 17.

Today would have been Maddie’s 19th birthday. A donor, who wished to remain anonymous, provided The Le Roy Police Department with eleven 50-dollar gift cards to distribute within the community as a random act of kindness in memory of Maddie.

Officers conducted traffic enforcement this afternoon, but instead of tickets, officers issued gift cards.

Submitted photos.

A black pickup truck reportedly hit a utility pole in the area of 7790 Lewiston Road, just north of Galloway Road, Batavia, and then fled north on Route 63 at a high rate of speed.

Wires are down in the roadway and the roadway is completely blocked.

Town of Batavia and Mercy EMS dispatched but Mercy is going back in service.

UPDATE 9:15 p.m.: Lewiston is being closed to thru-traffic at Veterans Memorial Drive.

UPDATE 9:19 p.m.: Oakfield Fire requested to shut down traffic at Batavia Oakfield Townline Road and Route 63.

UPDATE 9:45 p.m.: Three Town of Batavia engines going back into service.

UPDATE 9:48 p.m.: National Grid is arriving on scene.

A rollover accident with injuries is reported just south of 888 Bloomingdale Road in Basom.

Alabama Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 9:10 p.m.: The driver self-extricated and is walking around.

UPDATE 9:16 p.m.: One of Alabama's responding engine's can stand down.

UPDATE 10:06 p.m.: Alabama Fire back in service.

City of Batavia Historian Larry Barnes is going beyond the written word to illustrate the significance of the Brisbane family and the mansion at 10 West Main St. that has served as the community’s City Hall and, currently, as its police station.

Speaking at tonight’s City Council Business Meeting at the City Centre Council Board Room, Barnes (photo at right) said he realizes that Council members will want to hear from residents about the future of the Brisbane Mansion, which was completed in April 1855 at a cost of $25,000 (equivalent to $750,000 in purchasing power today).

“I know you will want them to be fully informed as you seek their input in the decision-making process,” Barnes said. “To help inform the public, I am working with the Landmark Society to present a play on the Brisbanes and their mansion. This play will be presented on three occasions in June and I encourage everyone to go see it.”

He said the Derek Maxfield, as associate professor of History at Genesee Community College and noted playwright, wrote the script. The cost of production is being underwritten by a grant through the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

Dates, times and locations of the play will be announced, he said.

Barnes said the Brisbane Mansion is a building that deserves preservation.

“The mansion … was erected as the home of George and Sarah Brisbane. This structure is historically signficant both in terms of the building, itself, and in terms of the Brisbanes who occupied it,” he said. “When the police department moves to its new facilities (on the Alva Place parking lot), you will be responsible for deciding the future of the mansion. Will it be saved and, if so, what function will it serve?”

Last year, Barnes updated his brief history of the building – a six-page document that provides details of the mansion as published in The Daily News in 1917-18, its use as City Hall and of the key members of the Brisbane family.

Following Barnes’ five-minute address, Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. reiterated the board’s support of “repurposing” the building due to its historical value.

Barnes said he “totally agrees” with that stance, but reminded Council that “we’ve lost some pretty incredible buildings” over the years.

In a related development, Council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to compensate Barnes with a $5,000 annual stipend.

Over the past 13 years, he has done the job on a volunteer basis, just as the previous historians for the city have done since 1919. The one exception occurred in 1962 when the city historian received a $100 stipend, payable in two equal, semiannual installments.

A list of previous City of Batavia historians, as provided by Barnes:

-- William C. Coon, 1919-1953;
-- Georgia Northrup Foote, 1954-1967;
-- Mary McCulley (later Mary McCulley Henry), 1969-1970;
-- Ruth M. McEvoy, 1971-1985;
-- Mary McCulley Henry, 1986-1995;
-- Corinne Johnson Iwanicki, 1995-2007.

Ellen C. Ruffino served as an assistant historian from 1966-1968.

Other resolutions passed tonight:

• Extending a contract for a School Resource Officer with the Batavia City School District for two more years, through June 30, 2024. Officer Miah Stevens currently has that position, which is paid for by the school district.

• Creating a temporary full-time detective position in anticipation of the retirement of a detective this summer. The temporary post carries an increase in pay of $15,000 to cover the promotion.

• Extending a contract with Client First Technology Consulting for six months at a cost not to exceed $44,600 for continued assistance with the city’s Enterprise Resource Planning system. The ERP integrates functions to ensure best practices, automated workflow and project management efficiency.

Photo of Larry Barnes by Mike Pettinella.

If Yong Guang Ye gets his wish, the California businessman will more than double his investment at 40 Batavia City Centre.

Better known as the former JC Penney store in downtown Batavia, the property was purchased by Ye in February 2021. The price tag was $500,000. He has asked his realtor, Jonathan Maurer of Pyramid Brokerage Co. in Fairport, to list the site for sale at a cool $1.3 million.

Maurer has spoken with Genesee County Chamber of Commerce President Eric Fix and Business Improvement District Executive Director Shannon Maute about prospects for the site.

“I’m trying to understand what the community would want,” Maurer said Monday to The Batavian. “A hotel would be amazing … we’re pursuing a hotel; we don’t have any strong leads yet, it’s too soon to tell. The priority is to find the best use for the space.”

The selling price is not out of range given the open floor space, “which I think is a value, given the size of the building,” he said, plus a roof repair in progress.

The buyer is a commercial real estate developer, and does not own any other property in New York State, Maurer said.

Based on his talks with the county and downtown representatives, the first goal would be to renovate it for an event space, with the second goal being a downtown hotel. It has been “difficult to find the right user” so far, he said, due to the site’s limited visibility and entrance/exit set-up.

BID Executive Director Shannon Maute said she could easily see a boutiquey micro-hotel situated within the 38,584 square-foot building. This area is lacking a venue for conferences and special events, she said, and the property is zoned for all of that, including building on two additional floors.

It has often been said that Batavia is a perfect location for being in between Buffalo and Rochester, and Maute would like to capitalize on that. "If you had family in Buffalo and Rochester, Batavia would be the perfect place to have a wedding or an event," she said.

“There definitely is a need for that,” she said Monday. “We’re still open to any ideas, but the goal is for (Maurer) to have an idea of what the need is. We try to work closely together, and Eric agreed on what should and should not go in there. The city would have to weigh in on an idea.”

She would not elaborate on what they felt should not go into the site.

Fix was not available for comment. 

Previously: Vacant Penney building purchased by West Coast businessman

Photo by Howard Owens

New York State lawmakers are close to an agreement to suspend a portion of gasoline taxes for the last seven months of this year, but similar action by most county governments doesn’t seem to be in the works.

“I know the state is looking at doing it, and they're doing it, but I don't anticipate too many county governments doing this,” County Manager Matt Landers said today. “I don’t know where Erie and Monroe (counties) stand on this.”

News out of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office signals that the state will drop the price of a gallon of gas by about 4 percent -- approximately 16 cents per gallon of gas -- from June 1 through Dec. 31. On a 15-gallon fill-up, the savings to the consumer would be $2.40.

Landers said a recent informal poll of county administrators revealed that most were not looking at suspending their 4 percent (or so) sales tax from the price of gasoline.

“I don’t remember, specifically, which counties responded but all the ones that did said that was not something currently on their radar,” he said, while adding that a "discussion" about this subject with Genesee County legislators is likely to occur.

Sales tax accounts for a significant portion of county budgets. In Genesee’s case, sales tax proceeds are being earmarked for large capital projects, such as the construction of a new county jail.

The state tax break will reduce its revenue by about $600 million this year, but Hochul said that money received for pandemic relief and higher than anticipated tax revenue would enable it to handle the loss.

Reports indicate the state would suspend the 8-cent per gallon motor fuel tax and the 8-cent per gallon sales tax on gasoline.

State Assemblyman Stephen Hawley today said Republicans supported legislation to remove 33 cents from the cost of a gallon of gas, as well as state sales tax breaks on home cleaning supplies, clothing and food.

“With a $220.4 billion budget, we’ve got plenty of cash in a rainy day fund,” he said. “Some of what we proposed didn’t fall on deaf ears, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s not enough. We’ve got all kinds of surpluses, apparently, according to the governor.”

Hawley said he’s always been in favor of “giving that back to people so they can spend it in their communities, as opposed to sending it to the state where they can fritter it away.”

He added that the federal government is “going to be doing something as well – so, stay tuned on that.”

When asked if county governments should follow suit, he said they were given the opportunity, but understands municipalities’ reliance on sales tax to balance their budgets.

“That’s a large source of their revenue, so that’s not surprising at all,” he said.

Press release:

Spring is here and that means wild animals will be giving birth to their babies. Sometimes these cute baby animals will stray away from their mothers and wander into backyards, into barns, and onto porches tempting people to catch them and take them in as their own. “Please leave them alone because it can put you and other family members at risk of exposure to a fatal disease such as rabies,” stated Paul Pettit, Director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health).

Rabies is a central nervous system disease, which attacks the brain and almost always results in death if rabies exposure is not treated. Rabies is most often spread through bites, scratches, and contact with infected saliva. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rabies is most often seen in bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, but any mammal can be infected with rabies. In addition, pets and livestock can get rabies if they are not vaccinated to protect against infection.

In 2021, GO Health tested 46 animals for rabies, and four tested positive. Additionally, 221 dogs and 54 cats were observed in 10-day confinement between the two counties. A domestic animal is subject to 10-day confinement if they bite a human. The animal’s health and behavior is monitored for 10 days to determine if rabies may be present and if further action is required.

What can you do to protect yourself against rabies?

• Leave all wildlife alone, including any injured animals. If you find an injured animal, do not touch it and contact your local animal control office for help.
• Avoid feeding, approaching, touching, or adopting wild animals and stray domestic animals such as cats and dogs.
• If you see a stray dog or cat, do not pet it. This is especially important if you are traveling out of the United States to a country where rabies in dogs is common.
• If you find any animal that is acting strangely, you should contact your local animal control office for help.
• Be sure that your pets (dogs, cats, and ferrets) are up-to-date on their rabies vaccination. Even indoor pets should be vaccinated and it is also recommended that livestock animals are vaccinated.
  • Public Health Law, Article 21, Title 4 requires New York State (NYS) residents to keep their pets (cats, dogs, and ferrets) up-to-date on their rabies vaccination.
• Keep family pets indoors at night and do not let them roam alone.

Anyone who has been bitten by any animal or may have been exposed to rabies needs to take immediate action. Make sure to thoroughly clean any wounds or bites with soap and water, and then call your health care provider for further instructions. If you can do so safely, capture the animal (being careful not to damage the head/brain) and call your local health department to report the incident. Capturing the animal is vital in order for it to be tested for rabies. Testing will confirm if the animal is infected with the virus or not, making sure that only those who need treatment get it. 

A doctor in consultation with the health department will determine who needs to be vaccinated with rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (RPEP). The cost to treat an individual varies considerably based on weight, number of doses, and insurance.  In 2021, treatment costs ranged from $2,000.00-$9,000.00.  GO Health will work with the patient’s insurance company, but what is not covered by insurance is ultimately the responsibility of the taxpayers.  In 2021, Genesee County treated 14 people and Orleans County treated 13 people.

“We encourage residents to do their part to prevent rabies in the community by vaccinating their pets and practicing caution around wild and stray animals,” stated Pettit.  “Please visit one of the upcoming FREE drive-thru anti-rabies immunization clinics for dogs, cats and ferrets.”

• Genesee County Clinics at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street, Batavia, NY)
  • Thursday, May 19^th, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, August 11^th, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, September 15^th, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, October 13^th, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Orleans County Clinics at the Orleans County Fairgrounds (12690 Rt. 31, Albion, NY)
  • Saturday, April 23^rd, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, June 4^th, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, August 13^th, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, October 15^th, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

For more information on Health Department services, visit GOHealthNY.org or call 589-3278 for Orleans County or 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 for Genesee County.

Press release:

The Batavia City School District (BCSD) has announced a plan to relocate the district’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program (UPK) from Jackson Primary to the Robert Morris building for the 2022-23 school year. 

The decision was made in an effort to address space concerns caused by increasing enrollment numbers at Jackson Primary.

The four classes relocating to the Robert Morris building for the 2022-23 school year will accommodate approximately 72 students and will operate as part of the Jackson Primary family. Students and staff will continue to be included in programming, fundraising, assemblies, and specials. Jackson Primary administration will oversee the new location, and student meals and transportation will continue to be provided. 

Once the district determines UPK enrollment transportation needs, it will release school day start and end times for the 2022-23 school year for the entire district.

The Batavia City School District is proud to provide four-year-old children in our community with a universal opportunity to access high-quality pre-kindergarten programs that set them up for future educational success. Registration is now open through May 1, 2022. Parents can pick up registration packets at the BCSD Registration Office at 80 Union Street. Parents will be notified over the summer regarding screenings for class placement.

BCSD owns the Robert Morris building on 80 Union Street, and it currently houses various district staff offices and the Community Schools resource center. The building’s classrooms and multi-purpose rooms are currently fully operational.

“At Jackson Primary we pride ourselves on the education our students receive during these formative years and will continue to give the rich experience to students in UPK, just at another location,” said Jackson Primary Principal Maureen Notaro.

“We’re thrilled to see increasing enrollment numbers here in the Batavia City School District,” said Jason Smith, Superintendent of Schools. “We’re fortunate to have a fully operational building on hand to help us accommodate our space needs, and I’m certain our students and staff will find the Robert Morris location a warm and welcoming extension of our Jackson Primary family.” 

UPDATE: The 12-year-old girl has been located.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is looking for assistance in locating a missing 12-year-old girl who ran away from home overnight. (name redacted) is a BCSD Student and was last seen in the area of Liberty St. XXXX did not have a cellphone with her. If anyone has any information please contact the Batavia Police Department at (585) 345-6350.

Press Release from the Automobile Club of America:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $4.11, down 8 cents change from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.86. The New York State average is 4.22, down 7 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.89. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia - $4.28 (down 4 cents from last week)
• Buffalo - $4.28 (down 5 cents from last week)
• Elmira - $4.17 (down 4 cents from last week)
• Ithaca - $4.21 (down 4 cents from last week)
• Rochester - $4.30 (down 5 cents from last week)
• Rome - $4.24 (down 2 cents from last week)
• Syracuse - $4.25 (down 3 cents from last week)
• Watertown - $4.28 (down 4 cents from last week)

In the past week, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has decreased by eight cents. According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), total domestic gasoline stocks decreased while gasoline demand increased from 8.5 million barrels per day to 8.56 million. Although supply and demand factors would have typically supported elevated pump prices, the fluctuating price of oil continues to be the main factor influencing pump prices. Pump prices will likely face downward pressure if oil prices remain below $100 per barrel. 

This morning, oil prices are hovering right around the $100 per barrel mark. They dropped after domestic crude stocks increased in the past week by 2.5 million barrels. Additionally, crude prices faced more downward pressure this week after the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 31 member countries, including Mexico, Japan, Germany, and Canada, announced plans to release 120 million barrels of crude oil from their emergency oil stockpiles. The amount includes a previously announced 60 million barrels of oil from the U.S.  It would be the second coordinated release in just over a month in response to spiking oil prices after Russia invaded Ukraine. The announcement has helped ease some supply concerns, pushing crude prices lower.

From Gas Buddy:

“Gas prices have continued to move in the right direction - down- saving Americans approximately $100 million every day compared to when prices peaked about a month ago. And, more good news is on the horizon: the national average this week will likely fall back under the critical $4 per gallon mark," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "It remains possible that gas prices may have hit their 2022 peak, barring the typical caveats like the Russia war on Ukraine, the economy, hurricane season and Covid don't take drastic and unexpected turns. Diesel prices are also falling and are likely to go back under the $5 per gallon average this week. The situation, for now, continues to show signs of improving, with the national average falling back into the $3 range as early as this week."



As the former JC Penney’s site, tucked on the northeast side of Batavia City Centre, has rested from its 44-year existence, a West Coast businessman purchased the building in February 2021. 

JC Penney closed its doors locally in the fall of 2020, in an onslaught of closings due to corporate bankruptcy proceedings. Batavia’s site then sat quietly as local shoppers mourned the loss of another department store. 

Meanwhile, Yong Guang Ye of San Jose, Calif., purchased the 38,524 square-foot site. According to Genesee County assessment records, Ye bought the building for $500,000 on Feb. 2, 2021. The property has been assessed at $400,000. 

Ye was contacted Sunday for comment by The Batavian. A representative of Ye’s from California returned the call inquiring if The Batavian was interested in purchasing the property, and it was explained that the call was for comment about the purchase. Ye has a local realtor whose name was to be provided to The Batavian but was not provided by the time of publication. 
 
JC Penney was built in 1978 along Alva Place and remained a strong anchor for the former Genesee Country Mall-turned-Batavia City Centre until its doors were permanently closed in late 2020.

Top photo: File photo of JC Penney during its going-out-of-business sale in late 2020. Photo by Howard Owens.

Batavian James Townsend notched his second 300 game of the bowling season last week, starting with a perfect game en route to a 730 series in the Tuesday Coed League at Mancuso Bowling Center.

The 24-year-old high-revving right-hander also rolled a perfect game on Oct. 12, 2021, as well as a 299 on Nov. 18, 2021 and a 298 on Jan. 1, 2022.

Other high series for the week included Josh Elliott's 769 and Ron Lawrence's 748 in the Wednesday Men's Handicap and Thursday Owls leagues, respectively, at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, and Mike DeVay Jr.'s 750 and Jeremy Vallance's 743 in the Mancuso Real Estate Doubles and Toyota of Batavia Thursday 5-Man leagues, respectively, at Mancuso's.

For a list of high scores around the Genesee Region USBC, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.

TWO LOCALS CASH

Two Genesee Region USBC members -- Reid Cole of Albion and Kevin Gray Sr. of Honeoye Falls -- cashed at the Tommy Kress 60-and-Over Tour event at Pleasure Lanes in Hilton last week.

Cole rolled a 700 series in qualifying and made it to the second round of the eliminator finals, earning $100. Gray qualified with 681 before being eliminated in the first round, winning $70.

John Danielwicz of the Buffalo area placed first, earning $330.

The final tournament of the season is set for 11 a.m. May 1 at Sunset Lanes in Rochester.

Imagine a place where Genesee County families could find a clearinghouse of details about summer activities for students. It would be a one-stop-shop for locating camps, dance classes, and various other activities with the dates, times, target age group, and registration information. 

Imagine no more, Community Schools Coordinator Julia Rogers says. Partnership Task Force — a collective offshoot of the Community Schools program — worked last summer to develop a list of priorities for the Community Schools Advisory Board. A key goal was to answer what would help to break down barriers for children and families, Rogers says.

“So as part of that work, it came out that we really needed a calendar for that, for families to see what was out there so that they could become engaged and see the opportunities that were in the community,” she said during an interview Friday with The Batavian.

The initiative began by reaching out to “anyone we could think of,” Rogers said, and casting a wide net to catch as many local camps as possible. Families were always having to go to all of the different sites — GLOW YMCA, Business Education Alliance, the City of Batavia as a few examples — and without a solid direction for where to go, they may have missed a registration deadline for a summer camp, she said. 

“So that was one of the things from the advisory board that they said would really help,” she said. “There's no one main housing place for all of the camps to be listed for parents to have easy access to. So the partnership task force looked at it and we started building it and reached out to anyone we could think of that had summer camps. There’s never been one of these in my lifetime.“

The calendar has all of the pertinent information and a link to access the organization directly for registration and class details. This is to reduce the steps parents have had to take in the past, she said and will have a larger, more inclusive offering of the myriad activities happening in the county.

Once families began responding to the summer calendar idea, the task force expanded that to include year-round activities, such as GO ART’s creative camp for April break, which for city students begins Monday. 

“So we've expanded it even before we could publicize it that it's going to be for all days of the year,” Rogers said.

Not only will this clearinghouse help families with their future planning, but it can also assist organizations with scheduling events by being able to have a big picture of what’s going on throughout the year, she said. So if July seems particularly flush with camps, an agency may opt to schedule something for August or another time of the year when there isn’t as much going on. 

She urges parents not to print out the calendar, as it’s a fluid document that is constantly changing with updates of added events. The task force will eventually conduct a needs assessment to find out if all of the bases are covered, or if there’s still something that students and families would like, she said. 

“We want to know what can we do to help kids be successful,” she said. “And we’re working with the health department for its community needs assessment.”

Community Schools is already planning an upcoming event to help meet the financial, physical, social, mental, and emotional needs of city school district families. A wellness fair has been scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 30 at the Robert Morris building at Union Street and Richmond Avenue. More information will be provided as details are confirmed, Rogers said.

For more information about the calendar, go to: https://www.bataviacsd.org/page/community-schools-home-page

For questions or additions to the calendar, email Rogers at: jrogers@bataviacsd.org

Photo: Partnership Task Force members Kelly March of Richmond Memorial Library, Julia Rogers of Community Schools, and Jaylene Smith-Kilner of Habitat for Humanity get ready for summer with a newly launched online activities calendar. Other members not pictured are Bill Schutt of Genesee-Orleans Youth Bureau, Shellye Dale-Hall of GCASA and Charitie Bruning of YMCA. Photo submitted by Batavia City School District.
 

Whenever the Peca kids would hear the clippity-clop of the horse’s hooves on our street, we knew our friend “Sugar” (his real name was Jimmy) was delivering milk for Branton’s Dairy. It was the year 1954, and we lived on Highland Park. The milkman would always give us time to pet the horse and give the horse a treat. That was such a great memory from our childhood. Later, when we moved to another location, we still excitedly waited in anticipation for the milkman. Gone was the exciting horse hooves sound, but it was replaced with a milk truck. There was this one Fargo Ware milkman, Mr. Barlow. All of the children loved him because he always had a smile for us. He would give you an orange drink if it was your birthday. Even though some of us had at least two birthdays a year, he never let on that he knew what we were up to.

Many changes have occurred over the years with the “milkman.”  In our early history, any farmer with a herd of cows could deliver milk. There was no fuss about sterile instruments or the butterfat content of milk. A homemaker could choose a milkman based on his route or the taste of the milk.

Many dairies delivered milk in Batavia. The three dairies that delivered the longest belonged to Augustus Branton, Warren Fargo, and Henry Ware.

In 1873, Henry B. Fargo started a milk route from his farm on Bank Street. 1907, his son Warren Fargo bought the farm and called it The Evergreen Farm Dairy. In 1907, he purchased the Coates home at 208 East Main Street. In 1912, he built a modern dairy plant behind 208 East Main Street home. This was where he installed milk pasteurizing equipment and machinery for making ice cream. For several years, his brother Robert ran the ice cream parlor and confectionery store in the old Main Street house.

In 1916, Warren Fargo sold the ice cream part of the business to Dewitt C. Hopkins and just focused on milk and cream. Cyrus and Wallace joined him in the industry, but the sons took over the company when Warren semi-retired. In 1954, the Fargo brothers built a small dairy store at 208 East Main Street in front of their dairy.  

William H. Ware started the Fairfield Dairy in 1927 on his farm on Ellicott Street Road near Cedar Street. In 1928 John Witruk joined Henry Ware, William’s son, in building a modern mechanized plant on Cedar Street. In 1958, William Ware closed the Fairfield Dairy to join the Fargos and become Fargo-Ware, Incorporated.

In 1969, Genesee Farms Incorporated bought out Fargo-Ware, which was run under the Genesee Farms name. The owners were Richard and Robert Call. Alvin Scroger from Oakfield was the manager.

In 1889, Augustus Branton started his dairy business when the Fargos were setting up their milk route.   He bought an earlier milk route from Robert Earll and began to deliver milk to Earll’s customers. He moved from his farm on South Main Street to one on West Main Street Road two years later. Augustus’ two sons, John A. and Raymond, lived on the farm on West Main Street. John Branton delivered milk with his father and was in the milk business for more than 63 years. He married Isabell Kellogg of Stafford, NY, on October 19, 1921, and together they moved to a home at 12 River Street and built a milk processing plant behind their house. Mrs. Branton was very active in the business. During World War II, young men were off to war, so Mrs. Branton and their son and daughter delivered milk. In 1954 when her husband John died, she became the president of Branton’s and ran it with the help of their children Raymond J.  and Jean Branton and Richard and Sibyl Branton Zorn.  

Branton’s began pasteurizing milk in 1922 and in 1947 began to clarify and homogenize the milk. In 1952, Branton’s installed a new milk processing plant that weighed and clarified milk in one process. After the milk had been tested for butterfat content, it was pasteurized, cooled rapidly, bottled by automatic machinery, and stored until time for delivery. 

In 1959, Branton’s opened the dairy store on West Main Road.

Hackett’s Milk and Cream were also in the business of delivering milk. Henry Hackett founded his dairy business in 1914, and his brother Edgar joined him in 1920. They felt the bottling of the milk needed to be conducted under the highest sanitary standards. The dairy plant was located on Oak Street.

Today we buy milk at almost any place in the area, from supermarkets, chain stores, gas stations, and our very own Northside and Southside Delicatessens.  

Photos courtesy of the Genesee County History Department

CORRECTION: "Robert and Richard Call owned Fargo-Ware Dairy. Oakfield Farms Dairy was owned by Albert Scroger who also used to deliver milk to homes. When Albert retired, his son Alvin took over the business and they merged with Fargo-Ware to become Genesee Farms Dairy, Inc. Alvin Scroger was manager of the business but he was also a 50% owner in partnership with the Call brothers."

Press release:

“As the Majority passes another record-breaking budget, costing taxpayers $220,000,000,000, more than what Florida and Texas spend on their budgets combined, I'm left wishing their ambition to protect public safety was as strong as it is to test our state’s fiscal limits,” said Hawley. “New Yorkers needed decisive action to be taken to lift our economy and restore public order, but instead, they were given a band-aid budget full of half-measures that will make little impact on the well-being of everyday people. We should be working to slash wasteful spending and aim for austerity in our budget, not worsen the spending spree our state has been on for far too long.”

Three members of Boy Scout Troop 6006 in Batavia became Eagle Scouts today in a ceremony at First United Methodist Church.

Luke Geiger: Eagle Scout project was a one-mile prayer trail behind Northgate Methodist Church Batavia, that included a 12 ft wooden cross, birdhouses, and gardens on the ground with sundial, and benches. The monetary value of the project is $18,000 with 500-man hours invested.   He gave his mentor pins to each of his Cub and Boy Scout leaders Tracy and Nick Grover.  Also, a mentor pin to Steve Ognibene.

Nicholas Grover: Eagle Scout project was in the Town of Batavia at Galloway Park on Galloway Road. He designed and built a trail through a wooded area that is 8-feet wide, adding one new bench and refurbishing another bench.  He also made trail markers to mark the path. He gave his mentor pin to Steve Ognibene.

Aidan Clark: Eagle Scout project was at St. Joseph Cemetery. He refurbished seven pillars made of concrete He also cleaned, repaired, and painted the front-facing raw black iron fence on Harvester Avenue.  He gave his mentor pin to adult leader Dan Geiger and Steve Ognibene

Congressman Chris Jacobs presented congressional awards to each of the boys during the ceremony.  Assemblyman Steve Hawley was absent due to a state budget session and will present his awards at a later date.

Top photo: Luke Geiger, Nicholas Grover, Aidan Clark, take the Eagle Scout oath, administered by Eagle Scout Thomas Ognibene.

Photos by Howard Owens except bottom photo.

Photo by Steve Ognibene.  Jess Markel former scout executive, Ron Bernard Scoutmaster of Troop 6, newly Eagle Scouts Nicholas Grover, Aidan Clark, Luke Geiger, Ron Schmidt troop commissioner and Erik Volk, Eagle board of review panel.

Bergen held its annual Easter Egg hunt today.