Press release:

Genesee County STOP-DWI coordinator announced Wednesday that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and City of Batavia Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.

While we spend the Labor Day holiday and the end of summer celebrating with our loved ones, law enforcement officers across New York State will take to the roads in an effort to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives.

The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts started on Wednesday, Aug.19^th' and will end on Sept. 7th.

Research shows that high-visibility enforcement can reduce impaired driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. Sobriety checkpoints play a key part in raising awareness about the problem.

New York State Police, County Sheriff and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force.

The STOP-DWI Labor Day Weekend Crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association with additional funding from our STOP-DWI Foundation and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. Throughout the remainder of the year the Statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign will also target Halloween and the national Holiday Season in December.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol and drug related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving.

You can help to make a difference by having a Sober Plan!  Download our mobile app – “Have a Plan” and you will always be able to find a safe ride home www.stopdwi.org/mobileapp   

Impaired driving is completely preventable.All it takes is a little planning. Have a safe and happy Labor Day!

Photo: Genesee County Master Gardener volunteers evaluating 4-H Flower Fair projects.

Submitted photos and press release:

Congratulations to the Genesee County 4-H members who participated in the 4-H Flower Fair at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Office on Aug. 17-19.

More than 20 4-H cut-flower projects were entered by 4-H youth.

With the County Fair cancelled this year, the 4-H Flower Fair was an opportunity for 4-H members to have their cut flower projects evaluated. Projects were judged by Genesee County Master Gardener volunteers for their overall quality, uniformity, color and being free of insects and disease.  

4-H Flower Fair Class Champions:

• Sunflower – Helena Kotarski
• Gladiolus – Kara Goodenow
• Floral Arrangement – Helena Kotarski
• Cut Flowers – Kara Goodenow
• Cut Flower Collection – Gia Zuber

The Genesee County 4-H Program is a youth development program for youth ages 5-18. New 4-H youth members, adult volunteers and clubs are always welcome.

For more information about the Genesee County 4-H Program, please contact the 4-H Office at genesee4h@cornell.edu or (585) 343-3040, ext. 131. 

Below: 4-H Flower Fair Class Champions, from left: Helena Kotarski’s sunflower; Kara Goodenow’s gladiolus; Helena Kotarski’s floral arrangement; Kara Goodenow’s cut flowers; Gia Zuber’s cut flower collection.

A caller to dispatch complains that a controlled burn in a back yard near Thorpe and Watson streets in the city is creating lots of smoke and some of it is going into the caller's residence. City police and fire responding.

UPDATE 2:26 p.m.: The burn has been extinguished; city fire is back in service.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at Lewiston and Galloway roads, Town of Batavia. It is blocking traffic. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 2:13 p.m.: A second ambulance is called to the scene. A male driver complains of arm pain; a female driver complains of back pain.

UPDATE 2:17 p.m.: Command reports one lane of traffic is partially blocking traffic.

UPDATE 2:18 p.m.: Two flatbed tows are requested.

UPDATE 2:44 p.m.: One patient is being transported to UMMC. The town assignment is back in service.

Press release:

Warsaw -- Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties are excited to launch a new regional tourism program – “Fresh Air Adventures – New York’s Falls to the Finger Lakes.”

This is a refresh of the successful long-running Country Byways of Greater Niagara and the Finger Lakes program, which has existed for more than 25 years and has given the GLOW counties collaborative capabilities to leverage our unique rural towns and villages, collective attractions and prime location between Niagara Falls and the Finger Lakes.

The goals of Fresh Air Adventures are to encourage travel to our world-class attractions, discover our quaint towns and villages, and experience all that our great region has to offer.

The initiative includes a new comprehensive website (www.FreshAirAdventuresNY.com) designed by Corporate Communications based out of Rochester, as well as Facebook and Instagram (@FreshAirAdventuresNY) platforms.

Each of these digital tools will provide tourists a wealth of valuable information, including outdoor recreation experiences, culinary and craft beverage fare, overnight accommodations, events, adventure ideas/itineraries, interactive maps and trip-planning capabilities.

Fresh Air Adventures, as part of New York Empire State Development’s I LOVE NY program, will continue Country Byways work of marketing approximately 1,000 GLOW tourism businesses.

As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, our marketing will shift to NYS travelers and once the pandemic is over, we will resume marketing to national and international leisure and group tour travelers and those passing along major routes traveling to Buffalo, Niagara Falls USA/Canada and the Finger Lakes from places like New York City, Toronto, Canada and elsewhere within a six-hour drive.

This visitation is critical to our area economy and the sustainability of our small business community. Tourists spend more than $238 million in the GLOW region each year, which translates to $28 million in sales tax dollars, over $15 million of which remains local so the GLOW counties can improve the quality of life for residents.

Along with the Fresh Air Adventures moniker, includes a new logo that features earth-tone colors, adventurous fonts, the profile of New York State to give visitors a sense of location/place, and clever touches like a bird in flight and a waypoint marker dotting the “i” in AIR – adding to the explorative nature of the brand.

The tagline, “New York’s Falls to Finger Lakes” adds to the intrigue, playing on internationally renowned outdoor landmarks like Niagara Falls, the major waterfalls in Letchworth State Park and the Finger Lakes.

“Fresh Air Adventures tells tourists exactly what they can expect when they visit our region,” said Eric Szucs, Wyoming County Tourism director. “We have a spacious, safe, and beautiful natural setting, so the GLOW Counties collaborated to build this incredible program supported by a comprehensive website and social media platforms.

"In doing so, we can share the outdoor experiences and uniqueness of our rural villages and the small businesses that make up our communities. It’s an incredible way to connect so many outdoor landmarks like Lake Ontario, Letchworth State Park and the Finger Lakes.” 

“In 2020 people were forced to rethink their travel plans,” said Dawn L. Borchert, Orleans County Tourism director. “Many had to forfeit air travel to exotic locations and be creative with road trips.

"Fresh Air Adventures is a great tool to plot out a stimulating excursion off the ‘beaten path’, especially while driving from the metropolitan area of New York City to Niagara Falls. They will be pleasantly surprised as to the family friendly towns and villages along the route, as well as the wide open spaces that Letchworth State Park, the Erie Canal and Lake Ontario have to offer.”

“The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to continue the long-standing collaboration between our tourism offices in promoting our great region." said Kelly Rapone, Genesee County Tourism Marketing director.

"Each county has a unique set of offerings that once packaged together offer visitors a wide range of activities to experience all within a one-hour radius. Working together, we are also able to enhance our individual marketing reach.”

“A regional collaboration connecting ‘Falls to the Finger Lakes’ stands to benefit the hundreds of small businesses through the region that cater to and delight tourists year-round,” said Laura Lane, president & CEO of the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce.

“Travelers looking for Fresh Air Adventures will surely delight as they make their way throughout the GLOW region counties and enjoy the multitude of experiences coupled with an array of complementary shopping, dining and indoor explorations. Livingston County appreciates working with our neighboring counties to truly connect New York’s Falls to Finger Lakes -- creating a memorable vacation experience.”

Fresh Air Adventures is a regional tourism program between Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties official tourism promotion agencies, dedicated to promoting our rich tourism assets, while working collaboratively to create an environment that leads to the success and economic prosperity of the GLOW Region through visitor spending.

For more information, please call (800) 622-2686 or visit the website at:   www.FreshAirAdventuresNY.com

Press release:

The community is cordially invited to attend a virtual open house on Monday, Aug. 31 with one-hour sessions at noon and 6 p.m. for the Excelsior Energy Project, a 280-megawatt solar energy generating facility with 20 megawatts of energy storage proposed in the Town of Byron.

Information about the project will be presented online and via phone. During the meeting, the Excelsior team and its subject matter experts will provide a project update and answer questions. Both sessions will include an update on the project, cover the same information, and follow the same format.

Two easy options for joining the Aug. 31, Virtual Open House:

By phone (line opens at 11:40 a.m. and 5:40 p.m.)

Call 1-866-807-9684, ask to “join the Excelsior Energy Project call.”

Online (allows you to view presentation)

Open your web browser. Go to:  services.choruscall.com/links/excelsior.html

Fill out contact information.

Click on the “Join Webcast” link.

It's turned out to take more than four years but restoration work on the Thomas Rocket Car is nearly complete. To finish the restoration work, the volunteers handling the project -- with Dick McClurg of Old World Collision leading restoration -- need to raise another $4,000.

They're asking the community to pitch in. Here is a link to a GoFundMe page where you can make a contribution.

The Thomas Rocket Car was designed by former Batavia resident Charles D. Thomas. He and Norman Richardson, a talented welder and body man just out of high school, built the car in a rented garage near Main Street and Ellicott Avenue in 1938.

The design, and several innovations in the car, such as a rearview periscope and independent suspension, were dreamed up by Thomas while working on his 1935 thesis for the General Motors Institute of Technology in Flint, Mich.

Once the car was built, Thomas tried to interest any one of the Big Three in Detroit to move the car into production. But whether the automakers felt threatened, or because of the prospect of the World War, or it would have been too expensive to retool, all three companies took a pass. One Detroit executive reportedly told Thomas that his car was 10 years ahead of its time.

Thomas went onto a successful career in Buffalo with the maker of the Playboy automobile, and he apparently kept the Thomas car and drove it for some time. He eventually sold it. Local car buffs searched for it a few years ago and found it stored in a barn in Lockport.

They bought the car and returned it to it's rightful home, Batavia, with the intention it become a display piece of history in the city.

Genesee County government leaders made the most of their 30 minutes with Rep. Chris Jacobs on Wednesday afternoon, informing the recently elected congressman of the major challenges they face in maintaining bridges, acquiring rural broadband and boosting the water supply.

Jacobs appeared at the County Legislature’s Committee of the Whole meeting at the Old County Courthouse, a session set up specifically bring him up to speed on pressing issues in Genesee County – one of eight counties comprising the 27^th District that he represents.

It includes all of Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming and Livingston counties and parts of Erie, Monroe, Niagara and Ontario counties. Jacobs won a special election on June 23 to fill the vacant seat, and was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives on July 21.

County Manager Matt Landers, Highway Superintendent Tim Hens and Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein provided plenty of food for thought – letting Jacobs know about:

• “An unacceptable level of bridges that are headed in red flag status and in need of significant repair.”
• A lack of high-speed internet on some rural roads that “leaves us behind”;
• The “heavy lift” that is the estimated $75 million Phase 3 of the county’s plan to ensure an adequate water supply well into the future.

BRIDGES

Genesee County is unique, Landers said, in that it is one of a few New York counties that has the “sole responsibility” of maintaining all bridges in the county.

“That has been a burden on Genesee County for a long time,” he said. Throw in the fact that Genesee has regularly shared revenue with its municipalities, and the result are budgets that are “very tight and lean for years. As such, our infrastructure is suffering.”

Landers said that insufficient revenue sources have led to “an unacceptable level of bridges that are headed in red flag status and in need of significant repair.”

Hens said the county maintains 95 bridges of spans of at least 20 feet, with 60 percent of those on county roads and 48 percent of them being structurally deficient or obsolete. The county also is charged with the condition of several smaller bridges.

“Genesee County has been beating the drum for roads and bridges for probably 10 years now,” Hens offered, adding that the average age of the 95 bigger bridges is 65 years – the end of their lifespan. He said he foresees a “tsunami of bridges” coming at the county, all needing to be replaced at the same time.

Projecting to 2029, Hens said $29 million will have to be allocated in order to maintain those bridges, “assuming that we do get continual delivery of federal aid from our regional partners at DOT and FHWA (Federal Highway Administration).”

Federal emphasis in recent years on interstate highways and the impact of COVID-19 on local finances are additional roadblocks in this area, he noted.

“But it’s one that we continue to press forward, so whatever help you can provide us,” Hens said to Jacobs, adding that he has prepared spreadsheets to illustrate the county’s plight.

Jacobs replied by stating that a federal infrastructure bill is “long overdue” and added that rural broadband is a “critical” piece of that legislation.

Stein said the county is “not in the position where property taxes all have to go toward” bridges and infrastructure, but residents pay their property taxes with the expectation that infrastructure and public safety needs will be met.

Hens touted a philosophy of “streamlining project delivery” – doing more for less by being creative and using available materials and manpower.

To illustrate this, he shared that the county invested $70,000 into the restoration of a small bridge in the Town of Bethany, which ran through a large dairy farm. With the bridge closed, the farmer was incurring up to $1,000 a day to haul silage and hay around detours.

Hens said the county couldn’t wait for federal aid to come, so it turned the federal aid back and addressed the situation in house.

“We essentially will have the project done in seven weeks at a cost less than our 5 percent local share of just the design phase of the project,” he said. “If the county went with the federal plan from start to finish, it would have been a $1.6 million project. (Now) we’re going to have a new bridge in place that will last for 20 to 30 years for about $70,000.”

The congressman's response to that statement indicated he wasn’t sure if he heard Hens correctly.

“Seventy thousand?” Jacobs said. “Seventy thousand versus $1.6 million? (With COVID-19), we’re going to have issues with the debt and deficit. It’s not just that we have to cut doing things or not; we can do things more efficiently. If you take what you just did and extrapolated that throughout the country, can you imagine how much money that would be?”

Hens said that federal funding process comes with “strings attached” and usually is structured in a generic way – not looking at the actual project – and takes about 18 months from the design work through construction.

BROADBAND

While not a lot of time was spent talking about broadband capabilities, the message was clear.

Stein said lawmakers are aware of a huge project under way in the county to increase high-speed internet on rural roads, but there are still roads that are without broadband technology.

“That’s a problem for our schoolchildren, especially in COVID with the hybrid model of in school and out of school,” she observed. “That leaves us behind and we have to have an even playing field.”

WATER

“Public water has been the key to this community since the early 1990s, and we have progressed a spine-type background into our communities and we are at a junction right now where we’ve got to make the next big jumps,” Stein reported, adding that despite great strides some residents are without public water due to the high cost of infrastructure.

She said the USDA is “an incredible partner” but other funding sources must be found as the county’s water project moves into the next phases.

Landers outlined Genesee’s countywide water system that has the county acting as the overseer, with vital connections to the Monroe County Water Authority and the City of Batavia. He said the structure eliminates the need for small aquifers and wells in towns and villages.

“It’s a model that we’re proud of,” he said. “There are things we never would have envisioned, such as how cows love drinking public water,” he said, drawing some laughs. Because farmers and small towns have jumped on board, the “demand has increased more than we could have ever imagined.”

He said management is mapping out demands for the next 10 years or so, trying to stay a step ahead, and have forged contracts with all the municipalities and agreements with Great Lakes and Erie County Water Authority.

Calling it a complex arrangement that includes water user surcharges to help pay down the debt service, Hens said the county is embarking upon Phase 2 with a $30 million price tag, which will be followed by Phase 3 at an estimated cost of $75 to $83 million.

“Phase 3 which would generate enough water to replace the City of Batavia water plant, but also bring in about 17 million gallons of water from Monroe County and Erie County,” he said. “It’s a very heavy lift for us so any outside help we can get from our partners at the federal level, whether its USDA or Congress, would be greatly appreciated.”

Hens made note of the rising food processing industry in the county – an offshoot of agriculture.

“They’re tremendous users of water. So, for us, water is gold, and the more water we can get here for our residents to support jobs and industry, the better off we are,” he said.

AGRICULTURE AND STIMULUS

On other subjects, Jacobs said he was “thrilled” to be appointed to the agricultural committee by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and reiterated his claim that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is holding on to $3 billion in federal stimulus funds.

Acknowledging that he has a lot to learn about the farming industry, Jacobs said he has met with local farm bureau leaders and wants to form an agriculture advisory roundtable to meet with him on a regular basis.

He said the roundtable will help him “to have a pulse of what’s going on in our district and also help me to have the right message when I’m at important stages like the budget process.”

Jacobs said he believes another stimulus bill will happen in September, and has signed onto legislation supporting local governments in the next stimulus bill. He then took another shot at Cuomo, urging the governor to release $3 billion from the first CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act.

“We need to push him to do his administerial job to get the money to the local communities,” he said.

Genesee County is preparing statements totaling nearly $100,000 for assessment services provided to towns and the City of Batavia in 2019.

The legislature’s Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday approved a resolution authorizing Kevin Andrews, director of real property tax services, to bill the municipalities for assessment rolls, tax rolls, tax bills, supplies, and assessment updates that were provided by the county in the previous fiscal year.

These “charge-backs” amount to $87,477 in services rendered and another $10,950 in licensing fees charged by New York State for specialized software “that assessors use to keep track of their assessment inventory and that we use to then produce assessment rolls, tax bills and tax rolls,” Andrews said.

Bills will be mailed to the towns and city in January, with the expense applied to their 2021 budgets, Andrews added.

The charge-backs and fees range from $3,336.83 for 1,107 parcels in the Town of Bethany to $17,715.23 for 5,531 parcels in the City of Batavia. The total number of parcels assessed was 29,159.

In another development, the committee authorized the appointment of Assistant County Manager Tammi Ferringer as the administration officer and to act as the Genesee County STOP DWI coordinator for the Genesee County STOP DWI Advisory Board.

The committee approved the following referrals from Monday’s Public Service Committee meeting:

• A consultant agreement with CPL Team of Rochester in an amount not to exceed $80,000 to develop Well C of the City of Batavia’s well fields on Cedar Street to increase the water supply during times of high creek water turbidity or during times of low groundwater that negatively impact Well A or Well B.

County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens said Well C could produce up to a million gallons of water per day – “almost as productive as Well A and B.” He said the emergency water situation in July prompted a meeting with city officials to expedite action to make Well C a viable option.

Hens estimated the total cost for construction, including cleaning, screening and re-casing the well, at $200,000 to $300,000.

• A change-order contract for $8,682.50 with Suburban Electric in Albion to install Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol communication controls and fuel pressure sensors for backup generators at pump stations in Churchville and Mumford.

The pump stations are being constructed at those locations as part of Phase 2 of the Countywide Water Supply Program.

Hens said the change order was necessary so that the Monroe County Water Authority can monitor the generators remotely during emergencies.  The change order increases the total cost of the contract to $767,682.50.

• The appointment of Candace Hensel of Byron to the Genesee County Planning Board for a three-year term effective through May 31, 2023. Hensel owns the Byron Hotel and Trailhouse.

Armed with a petition of 1,100 signatures, Pavilion Town Supervisor Robert LaPoint (in photo) told the Genesee County Legislature this afternoon that the community he serves is galvanized to do something about what he says is a dangerous traffic situation in the vicinity of Pavilion Central School on Route 63.

“With the help of the school district, we put forth a petition just to see if there was interest in the community to try to address this issue and, in under a week, we had 1,100 signatures on that petition in support of it – which is just under half of the population of the Town of Pavilion,” he said. “There is definitely energy in the town to try to do something about this.”

LaPoint informed lawmakers of the situation during a Committee of the Whole meeting attended by Congressman Chris Jacobs at the Old County Courthouse Legislative Chambers. The meeting was set up to appraise the congressman with the county’s infrastructure needs, specifically bridges, water and high-speed internet access.

In Pavilion, LaPoint said the excessive amount of tractor-trailer traffic coming through the hamlet has created a hazardous condition, putting students, staff and parents at risk.

He said the amount of traffic on Route 63 coming from the north or the south past the school dictates how quickly school buses and cars exiting the school parking lots can pull onto the state highway.

“The elementary school is just off 63 on York Road and the high school and middle school are on Route 63,” LaPoint said. “The bus loops and the student parking lots exit directly onto Route 63. This is in a 35-mile-per-hour zone, but that seems like it’s an optional speed limit to many of the trucks that come through town.”

As a result, he said, the traffic flow “coming in and out of the school at various times of the day is a real challenge.”

LaPoint said he has spoken with state Department of Transportation officials, although “not in formal terms,” and understands that the DOT will have final say in any changes, such as traffic control devices or additional signage.

Noting that he would rely on road engineers for advice, he underscored that “everyone agrees it is a problem and a dangerous situation waiting to happen with our students, our faculty and our parents.”

When asked by The Batavian reporter what the petition stated, LaPoint said it “says we need to address the dangerous traffic conditions around the schools, and it goes into specifics about some of the challenges.”

“The elementary school doesn’t exit directly on to Route 63, but they’re 100 feet away. Over 50 percent of the cars exit the elementary school and attempt to turn, and it’s only a stop sign. The stop sign that terminates York Road, the cross street of Route 63 and then (there is) the bus loop; it’s like a continuation of York Road.”

LaPoint said he observes buses and cars backed up so far that they block all the parking lots.

“Everyone is stuck there waiting because without a timed traffic light, it’s just up to the traffic (on Route 63) to decide when you can go out,” he said. “And (it’s) because we have so many heavy tractor-trailers going down that road. To me, school buses and tractor-trailers don’t mix.”

Legislator Gary Maha asked LaPoint if the stretch near the school was zoned as a school district.

“It is not,” LaPoint answered. “It’s just a 35 (mph) right on through the hamlet. What they (DOT) told me was that without walkers and without a crossing guard … there was no way to get a school speed zone. We don’t have walkers or traffic safety crossing guard because it would be absurd to attempt to have students walking on that road. It would just be far too dangerous for us.”

Maha mentioned serving on the Route 63 Corridor committee led by Bruce Tehan about 30 years ago, and a study that looked at creating a bypass for trucks coming off or going to Interstate 390 and not using the Thruway.

“We found it would cost $1 million a mile (for a bypass),” Maha said.

LaPoint said the best option would be to have a flashing light put in at the intersection of Route 63 and York Road, one that could be activated during drop off times in the morning and at dismissal.

“We have an SRO (school resource officer) there, but I don’t know technically speaking how these things could be operated -- if an SRO could operate it,” he said. “I know he’s jumped out to direct traffic at various times because the flow situation can get so bad. It messes up the school, too. If their buses take an extra 10 minutes … then they’re not back in time.”

He brought up that transportation could become a bigger headache with the school entering into an in-school and remote learning schedule.

LaPoint also said he would like to see reduced speed all the way up to Route 246 about a quarter-mile to the southeast of the school, pointing out the difficulty at times of making turns from Route 246 (Perry Road) onto Route 63.

“What we have on 246 is a north-south road crossing at an angle, essentially double the size of road you’re trying to get across, when you try to clear that intersection,” he explained. “Not to mention that you need to square up to the road to see because there’s a blind hill there.

“When traffic is coming down above the speed limit, you can’t get across … and I’ve driven tractors and wagons across that intersection, and you do a sign of the cross and open it wide open and go. By the time you get across the road, you might be relying on somebody hitting the brakes that you couldn’t see before you left.”

On another front, LaPoint reported that the Town of Pavilion is “on the cusp” of building a new water tank to provide water service to the eastern and most of the northern part of the town, and that the town is hoping to add more water districts in the coming years.

While acknowledging that the Town of Pavilion would welcome any financial support for infrastructure, he was quick to thank the legislature for planning to make another revenue distribution to the county’s towns and villages.

Previous: Legislature set to distribute another round of payments to towns and villages.

“It really puts the proof in the pudding that when we started this whole thing (COVID-19), everybody was getting nervous,” he said. “The legislature is not trying to seize money. It is trying to be prudent at both the legislative county level and with all of our area municipalities. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much.”

Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce that on Monday, Aug. 24^th, the official Cannon Welcoming Home Celebration will be taking place at 10 a.m.

We are welcoming our two cannons back to their familiar spot on the front porch of the museum after a long absence due to being restored. Seed Artillery out of Altoona, Pa., spent many months carefully restoring our guns to their former glory as they would have looked in the early 19^th century.

The work included rebuilding of the carriage with all new metalwork and refurbishing the cannon barrels.

The cannons will be welcomed home in style with the help of a gunnery crew of the Genesee County Militia reenactor group.

We would also like to thank everyone who contributed to our Cannon Restoration Fund.

All are welcome to attend, while observing social distancing protocols and wearing facial coverings. 

For more information please call the museum at (585) 343-4727 or email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

Press release:

New Cases – As of 2 p.m. 

• Genesee County received zero new positive case of COVID-19.
  • Fifteen new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • Two of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
     
• Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • Two new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

A vehicle vs. bicyclist accident is reported at 3670 S. Main St., Batavia. There are injuries. East Pembroke Fire Department is responding along with Mercy medics.

The location is between Lovers Lane and Fairway Drive.

UPDATE 5:39 p.m.: Patient is denying EMS; assignment is back in service.

This home has been well taken care of and mechanics all in great condition and inexpensive utilities! This home has a great layout and way more spacious than you would think from the road!

Three bedrooms with hardwood floors, good-size living and dining area, and there is also an extra large step down family room overlooking back deck that looks out to the fields! Downstairs is partially finished and has room galore for all kinds of storage and also an awesome workspace for the hobbyist! Surprising amount of extra space!

And if that wasn't enough there is a one car attached garage AND a separate outbuilding that any person who loves to putter or hang out will absolutely want-electric and heated you might not want to go back in!

Really not a lot to do but move in and make it your own. Call Reliant Real Estate today, (585) 344-HOME (4663) or click here for more information.

A caller reports there's a dog that's been locked inside a blue SUV for 30 to 40 minutes at BJ's Wholesale Club. The vehicle is in a handicap parking space in front. An animal control officer is responding. It's about 70 degrees outside.

UPDATE: The officer has driven through the parking lot three times and is unable to locate the vehicle; back in service.

The Genesee County Legislature is preparing to make another round of voluntary payments – the third such distribution this year – to towns and villages.

Later this afternoon, the legislature’s Ways & Means Committee is expected to put its stamp of approval on a resolution to appropriate $2 million to 19 municipalities in the county.

These voluntary distributions became a lightning rod for debate among town and village administrators in late March after the county decided to suspend payments in light of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect upon its revenue stream.

The legislature did authorize voluntary distribution payments to towns and villages on April 24 ($3.025 million) and on July 22 ($1.1 million).

County Manager Matt Landers said that the April distribution was money “originally planned, pre-COVID” while the July payment was made and the proposed current distribution will be made after “month-by-month reviews, recommendations and decisions going forward.”

The latest proposed payments (subject to a vote by the full legislature on Aug. 26) are as follows:

• Town of Alabama -- $79,106;
• Town of Alexander -- $81,708;
• Town of Batavia -- $341,998;
• Town of Bergen -- $98,996;
• Town of Bethany -- $82,082;
• Town of Byron -- $94,960;
• Town of Darien -- $197,872;
• Town of Elba -- $73,874;
• Town of Le Roy -- $165,332;
• Town of Oakfield -- $61,130;
• Town of Pavilion -- $109,162;
• Town of Pembroke -- $200,050;
• Town of Stafford -- $126,390;
• Village of Alexander -- $14,732;
• Village of Bergen -- $37,864;
• Village of Corfu -- $26,846;
• Village of Elba -- $21,500;
• Village of Le Roy -- $145,194;
• Village of Oakfield -- $41,204;
• Total Distribution -- $2,000,000.

Not to be outdone by anyone in Batavia, proud grandmother Mayja Andrews, of Le Roy, sent us this photo Tuesday of her granddaughter, Eva Goff, and her 12-foot-high sunflowers.

Eva, a student at Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School, has been "staying busy" this summer by tending garden and getting her sunflowers to flourish, according to her grandma.

Submitted photos and press release:

Seven members of the Genesee Community College team have been recognized by the State University of New York for outstanding contributions to their profession, the campus and the community.

The SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence is given in recognition of consistently superior professional achievement and encourages the ongoing pursuit of excellence.

The following faculty and staff members earned SUNY Chancellor's Awards for 2019-2020.

GCC is proud to announce Carolyn Caccamise and Kari Heidemann have received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, which recognizes consistently superior teaching at the graduate, undergraduate or professional level of the highest quality. To say that Caccamise has been an integral part of GCC's veterinary program would be an understatement. Director and Associate Professor of the College's Veterinary Technology program, Caccamise played an integral role in building the program to what it is since she started as an adjunct instructor in 2011.

Armed with a bachelor's from Eisenhower College and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine and extensive ongoing learning, Caccamise maintains veterinary practices which helps ensure her students are at the cutting edge of practical learning and application. Caccamise resides in Alexander.

Heidemann has been an instructor of Human Services at GCC since 2006 and began teaching full-time in 2016 when she also began coordinating the program's internships, advisory board, scholarship opportunities and advising the Human Services Student Club. Heidemann graduated Summa Cum Laude from Niagara University with a bachelor's degree, earned a master's from SUNY Brockport and received a NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development for community and technical colleges) Award. Heidemann resides in Barker.

The SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching recognizes consistently superior teaching at the graduate, undergraduate or professional level of the highest quality. This honor was earned by Adjunct Instructor Ruth Rigerman. Rigerman has taught math courses at GCC for nearly 40 years. She received the NISOD Award for Excellence in Teaching to Adjunct Faculty in 1993, 1998 and 2017. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Education, Mathematics from SUNY Brockport and later earned her MS in Education there as well. Today, Rigerman resides in Batavia.

For Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, Director of Fine and Performing Arts Maryanne Arena received a SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence. An award-winning educator, director, entertainer, public speaker, and police officer, Arena was named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary Club and received three Medals of Valor -- including one for capturing one of the New York Police Department's "Ten Most Wanted" criminals.

Since she joined GCC in 2004, Arena established GCC's Children's Theatre tour, Black History Month/ Social Justice productions and produced numerous performances. Arena also received a YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Racial Justice in 2015, a citation from Mental Health Association of Genesee and Orleans Counties for producing, directing, and acting in " 'Night, Mother" in 2012, and SUNY Chancellor's Award recipient for Excellence in Professional Service in 2009.

Arena became a Licensed Police Officer in NYC, a PD Officer Certified in East Stroudsburg, earned a bachelor's degree from East Stroudsburg University and then a master's degree in Acting & Theatre from Brooklyn College. She currently resides in Le Roy.

The SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Faculty Service, which recognizes consistently superior service contributions of teaching faculty over multiple years, was awarded to Professor of Business Lauren Paisley. Paisley first began her relationship with GCC in 2002 as an adjunct faculty member and a part-time trainer in The BEST (Business & Employee Skills Training) Center -- a role she still plays.

However, in 2006, Paisley added full-time professor of Business at GCC to her resume. Since then, Paisley has served on the College's Global Education Committee, International Student Organization (advisor), Academic Senate, accreditation work groups and committees for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, multiple scholarship committees and numerous search committees to fill vacant positions within GCC.

Her work with student organizations has resulted in thousands of dollars to local animal shelters, food pantries, and programming designed to encourage humanity and kindness. Paisley earned her bachelor's degree from D'Youville College and a master's degree from SUNY Buffalo in Business Administration. Paisley resides in Middleport.

Human Communications and Behavior Department Secretary Michelle Forster received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Classified Service. This award is a system-level award established to give recognition for superior performance and extraordinary achievement by employees in the Classified Service. These awards demonstrate SUNY's commitment to individuals who provide superior service to its students and the community at large.

Forster has served as a secretary in GCC's Human Communications and Behavior department for 11 years. She has trained other secretaries on many operational processes, covered for other staff positions during absences, and provided superior customer service to students, faculty and staff in all circumstances. She regularly volunteers to participate on College committees and fully embraces GCC's passion to go "beyond expectations." Forster resides in Oakfield.

Recognizing consistently superior professional achievement, the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service was awarded to Kathryn Meloon. Meloon joined the Business Office at GCC in 2000 as a staff accountant, became assistant director of Finance in 2002 and in June of 2007 she was promoted to her current role of bursar where her primary focus is leading the Student Accounts Office.

However, Meloon consistently goes above and "beyond expectations" for GCC and its students. For the past three years (2016-2019) she wrote and was awarded the President's Innovation Award which allowed GCC to create its New York City Extended Student Visit initiative. The NYC Extended Student Visit brings approximately 20 already accepted NYC residents with limited financial means, on an overnight visit to experience GCC and Batavia firsthand. The visit allows these NYC students to envision themselves at GCC in an attempt to positively influence their decision to enroll.

Meloon earned a bachelor's degree at Houghton College and a master's degree at Keuka College. She currently resides in Batavia.

Public Notice

Town of Batavia State of Emergency Declaration

A State of Emergency was declared in the TOWN OF BATAVIA, effective at 6 p.m. on Aug. 15, 2020.

This State of Emergency has been declared due to the existing and continuing declared States of Emergency at the Federal, State, County, and City of Batavia, related to the COVID-19 virus.

This situation threatens the public safety.

This State of Emergency will remain in effect for 30 days or until rescinded by a subsequent order.

As the Chief Executive of TOWN OF BATAVIA, County of Genesee, State of New York, I, Gregory H. Post, exercise the authority given me under Section 24 of the New York State Executive Law, to preserve the public safety and hereby render all required and available assistance vital to the security, well-being, and health of the citizens of this Municipality.

I hereby direct all departments and agencies of TOWN OF BATAVIA to take whatever steps necessary to protect life and property, public infrastructure, and provide such emergency assistance deemed necessary.

Gregory H. Post,

Town of Batavia Supervisor

Aug. 15, 2020