Press release:

In collaboration with St. Joseph Regional School and in the spirit of maintaining and ultimately enhancing the vibrancy of Catholic Education in the GLOW Region, the St. Joe's seventh- and eighth-grade classes will be transitioned to Notre Dame High School beginning this September.

Both schools are very excited about engaging in a unified approach to maximize continuous improvements and long-term vibrancy.

The City issued a press release minutes ago, stating as follows:

The City of Batavia and City Manager Martin D. Moore, Ph.D., have mutually agreed that he will be leaving on June 20, 2020, to pursue other opportunities.

The City would like to thank Marty for his service to the community since October 2018 and wish(es) him the very best in future endeavors.

In accordance with the City’s Charter, the Assistant City Manager Rachael Tabelski will assume the role on the departure of the Manager.

Specific reasons for the parting of ways were not immediately disclosed.

A call to Moore's cell phone of record was not answered.

Contacted by telephone, City Council President Eugene Jankowski said that “it’s a personnel matter and therefore I am unable to make a public comment.”

When asked if Council will be discussing the situation publicly during Monday night’s Conference and Special Business meeting, he said, “I don’t believe so.”

Earlier this month, there were indications that Moore’s tenure was about to come to an end.

In a June 9 story on The Batavian, Council Member Robert Bialkowski commented in connection to a 90-minute executive session of City Council following its June 8 meeting.

“As usual, in politics there’s always something going on, but I can’t comment. You’ll know soon enough,” Bialkowski said.

Jankowski, when advised of Bialkowski’s statement at the time, also refused to comment.

Moore reportedly caused the City some embarrassment recently when he made a commitment to racial justice advocates that the City would support a BBQ for Equality on June 7 at Williams Park without going through Council for proper authorization.

The event was cancelled, setting the stage for the March for Justice protest in Downtown Batavia on that day.

City Council hired Moore in August 2018 and he began his duties two months later.

His contract stipulated for a starting salary of $110,000, with increases of $2,000 annually. He also received retirement benefits, paid family medical insurance, three weeks’ vacation, life insurance and a relocation reimbursement up to $10,000.

Moore had been the city manager of Eunice, N.M., for seven years prior to relocating to Batavia.

He replaced former manager Jason Molino, who left in January 2018 to take the Tompkins County administrator position. Public Works Director Matt Worth filled in as the interim city manager during the search for Molino’s successor.

Novak Consulting Group of Ohio, the firm utilized in the search for a new manager, reportedly guaranteed that person would stay on the job for at least two years or else the next search would be at no charge.

While there was no official word, Moore's contract stipulates that he will receive some type of severance pay.

When Moore was hired, Jankowski praised his professional record, which included being voted “City Manager of the Year” in 2015 by the New Mexico Municipal League for his “handling of the city’s finances and progress of the community and how it operates.”

“He is articulate and personable,” Jankowski said, “and all of us have been very impressed by him.”

At the time, Jankowski said Moore’s wife had family in North Tonawanda and that they had been looking to relocate to Western New York.

Moore's previous executive management experience includes a four-year stint as a consultant, census 2010 crew leader and general manager in Timberon, N.M.; county manager for Otero County, N.M.; executive director of Eastern Arizona Counties, and director of development and community services for Apache County, Ariz.

An Eagle Scout, he was a member of several professional associations and president of the Eunice Rotary Club. He and his wife, Joanne, have seven children.

Press release:

Rochester Regional Health is continuing to reopen clinics and resume outpatient services as part of a phased, coordinated plan that aligns with state and county health guidance.

On Monday, June 22, Rochester Regional Health will resume lab services at our Le Roy Medical Campus, located at 3 Tountas Ave., on a limited basis as follows:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday  –  7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Phone is (585) 768-6530.

The Le Roy Campus is also accepting Primary Care and Orthopedic patients.

Please know, as our facilities reopen, the health and safety of our patients and community are our top priorities.

We have diligently put new safety measures and processes in place to protect patients.

While care may look different, please rest assured that we are delivering the same high-quality care we always have.

To learn more about our Le Roy Medical Campus or the ways we are safely transforming healthcare delivery, please visit rochesterregional.org.

Press release:

All City of Batavia playground equipment will be open for use Monday, June 22. Please continue to take safety measures and continue to observe all public health guidelines related to COVID-19 to reduce risk of transmission.

At this time, the City of Batavia will continue to evaluate the New York State Department of Health Guidance in an effort to reopen the City’s splash pad and pavilion rentals, but they remain closed this time. 

“The City of Batavia is also encouraging sports organizations, including youth baseball and softball, to submit their event application and insurance paperwork if they would like to utilize City playing fields this summer,” said Rachael Tabelski, assistant city manager.

“Along with the event application sports organizations will need to follow the New York State Department of Health Interim Guidance for Sports and Recreation during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and provide the City of Batavia with a copy of their Safety Plan,” Tabelski said.

Event Application (PDF)

NYS DOH Sports & Recreation Guidance (PDF)

NYS Safety Plan Template (PDF)

The City encourages all residents to continue to take safety measures as they use common touch facilities like playground equipment and public bathrooms.

Please continue to observe all public health guidelines related to COVID-19 to reduce risk of transmission.  

The following measures are seen as best practices to keep residents safe when using shared equipment:

• Spacing: Families and individuals should stay 6 feet apart from each other.
• Masking: Families and individuals should wear masks, especially in situations when social distancing cannot be maintained.
• Hand Hygiene: Children should wash their hands or use hand sanitizer after use of equipment.
• Cleaning: The City will conduct scheduled cleaning of park equipment, but residents are welcomed to wipe down surfaces before and after use.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley endorsed Chris Jacobs for New York’s 27th Congressional District today.

“Chris has served Western New York with honor and integrity, and he has been a steadfast defender of our conservative values in Albany,” Hawley said. “Chris is unwavering in his fight for his constituents, our region, and our values – I can think of no one more suited to fight for Western New York and be the conservative leader we need in Congress.

"It is my distinct honor and pleasure to offer my full endorsement for Chris in both the Special Election and Primary Election on June 23rd.”

“I am beyond honored and grateful to receive Assemblyman Hawley’s endorsement," Jacobs said. "It has been an honor serving beside him in the State Legislature and he has been a true conservative fighter for the people of Western New York.

"With his endorsement, I feel confident that we can usher in a new era of prosperity in our region and send strong conservative leadership to Washington."

Jacobs has also received the endorsement of United States President Donald Trump, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Republican Whip Steve Scalise, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, NYS Senator Patrick Gallivan, NYS Senator Mike Ranzenhofer, NYS Assemblyman Angelo Morinello, NYS Assemblyman Mike Norris, Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard.

Submitted photo and press release:

Nicole Hopkins has been awarded the 2020 St. Jerome Guild Health Professional Scholarship.

Hopkins is a registered nurse who has worked at UMMC, dedicating six years to patients in the UMMC Pain Center.

She is striving for her BSN advanced degree in Leadership Management, carrying a 4.0 average at Roberts Wesleyan College. The recipient received a $500 scholarship in memory of Dorothy Baker, a dedicated Honorary Guild volunteer.

The St. Jerome Guild Inc., offers the annual scholarship to applicants who are currently employed at UMMC/Rochester Regional Health and are pursuing advanced degrees in healthcare fields.

The Guild’s Gift Shop operates entirely by volunteers, and is coined “The County’s Best Kept Secret” located in the Jerome Center and hopes to reopen in the near future. Proceeds from the Gift Shop continues to purchase equipment for UMMC.

In the photo, Hopkins holds a plaque representing the Guild’s current initiative, “Home Town Heroes, 2020 Wall of Warriors.”

The GLOW community is welcome to support this initiative by donating $10 per star representing one of the 1,000 UMMC employees located at the North Street and Bank Street campuses.

All proceeds from this initiative will be donated to UMMC to purchase vital equipment.

Checks can be made payable to: St. Jerome Guild Inc., 16 Bank St., Batavia, NY 14020.

A dog locked inside a red pickup truck with Florida license plates at Walmart is reported to dispatch by a caller concerned about its welfare. The truck is parked in the reserved section in front of the grocery entrance. An animal control officer is responding.

The temperature outside is currently 77 degrees.

Photo of sunset at Genesee Community College submitted by Amanda Wells. She said, "This beautiful sunset breaks up the craziness that has been the present of our daily lives. Just something nice to enjoy for a change."

The Batavian interviewed candidates for NY-27 both in the special election and in the GOP primary.

Our original plan was to interview Chris Jacobs, Nate McMurray, and Duane Whitmer, running in the special election originally scheduled for April and later interview the GOP candidates.

With that in mind, we interviewed McMurray in February at the Richmond Memorial Library. Then the pandemic hit before we could schedule the next interviews.

We were unable to return to the project until late May, early June, at a time when interviews could only be conducted remotely. Outside of this different setting, we strove to conduct the interviews in a similar style.

The goal of the interviews is to try and uncover the political philosophies of the candidates and how that affects their thinking on some big issues.

This is the interview with Chris Jacobs.

The Batavian interviewed candidates for NY-27 both in the special election and in the GOP primary.

Our original plan was to interview Chris Jacobs, Nate McMurray, and Duane Whitmer, running in the special election originally scheduled for April and later interview the GOP candidates.

With that in mind, we interviewed McMurray in February at the Richmond Memorial Library. Then the pandemic hit before we could schedule the next interviews. We were unable to return to the project until late May, early June, at a time when interviews could only be conducted remotely.

Outside of this different setting, we strove to conduct the interviews in a similar style. The goal of the interviews is to try and uncover the political philosophies of the candidates and how that affects their thinking on some big issues.

This is the interview with Stefan Mychajliw.

The Batavian interviewed candidates for NY-27 both in the special election and in the GOP primary.

Our original plan was to interview Chris Jacobs, Nate McMurray, and Duane Whitmer, running in the special election originally scheduled for April and later interview the GOP candidates.

With that in mind, we interviewed McMurray in February at the Richmond Memorial Library. Then the pandemic hit before we could schedule the next interviews.

We were unable to return to the project until late May, early June, at a time when interviews could only be conducted remotely. Outside of this different setting, we strove to conduct the interviews in a similar style.

The goal of the interviews is to try and uncover the political philosophies of the candidates and how that affects their thinking on some big issues.

This is the interview with Beth Parlato.

The Batavian interviewed candidates for NY-27 both in the special election and in the GOP primary.

Our original plan was to interview Chris Jacobs, Nate McMurray, and Duane Whitmer, running in the special election originally scheduled for April and later interview the GOP candidates.

With that in mind, we interviewed McMurray in February at the Richmond Memorial Library. Then the pandemic hit before we could schedule the next interviews.

We were unable to return to the project until late May, early June, at a time when interviews could only be conducted remotely. Outside of this different setting, we strove to conduct the interviews in a similar style.

The goal of the interviews is to try and uncover the political philosophies of the candidates and how that affects their thinking on some big issues.

This is the interview with Duane Whitmer.

The Batavian interviewed candidates for NY-27 both in the special election and in the GOP primary.

Our original plan was to interview Chris Jacobs, Nate McMurray, and Duane Whitmer, running in the special election originally scheduled for April and later interview the GOP candidates.

With that in mind, we interviewed McMurray in February at the Richmond Memorial Library. Then the pandemic hit before we could schedule the next interviews. We were unable to return to the project until late May, early June, at a time when interviews could only be conducted remotely.

Outside of this different setting, we strove to conduct the interviews in a similar style. The goal of the interviews is to try and uncover the political philosophies of the candidates and how that affects their thinking on some big issues.

This is the interview with Nate McMurray.

Opponents of Chris Jacobs, the state senator from Erie County running for the vacated NY-27 congressional seat in a special election Tuesday, and in a GOP primary for the same seat on the same day, have jumped on news reports accusing Jacobs of registering to vote and voting at a residence in Orchard Park that he did not own and was not living in at the time.

The house is his current residence.

A spokeswoman for the Erie County District Attorney's Office confirmed this evening that the office did receive a complaint about Jacobs but said, in reference to a FOIL request for documents, the office had "no documents responsive to the request."

While one of Jacobs' opponents said Jacobs was now the subject of a "criminal investigation," the spokeswoman indicated there was no such investigation currently but that the matter was "under review."

Nate McMurray, running against Jacobs in the NY-27 special election, and Beth Parlato and Stefan Mychajliw., running against Jacobs in the GOP primary, all issued statements attacking Jacobs for "voter fraud."

Jacobs, in turn, called the attacks, "a desperate political stunt."  

Here are his statement and the statements of the other three candidates.

Jacobs:

"This is nothing more than a desperate political stunt made by someone who is about to lose an election. My wife and I went under contract to purchase our home in Orchard Park on June 17th of 2019 and closed on our home on September 30 of 2019.

Desperate attacks by political opponents are not surprising – sadly they have become a standard part of politics.

We are grateful to the thousands of volunteers and supporters who have helped put us in position for a victory on Tuesday and we are looking forward to getting to work for the people of Western New York.”

Mychajliw:

“Chris Jacobs said Chris Collins would be ineffective due to the criminal investigation hanging over him. With a pending investigation by the Erie County District Attorney into potential criminal misconduct, Chris Jacobs should apply his own standard to himself. The District Attorney will pass judgement upon Chris Jacobs, and so will voters in Tuesday's Primary Election."

Parlato:

"I got in this race 11 months ago because we cannot trust career politicians.

Chris Lee resigned in disgrace. Chris Collins resigned in disgrace and is heading to prison. Now, Chris Jacobs has not even made it to Congress yet, and he is under criminal investigation.

The last thing we need is another career politician embarrassing our district and bringing shame to the hardworking, honorable people of NY-27. We deserve better.

We need to bring integrity back to this seat.

I am calling on Chris to put the people first, to do what is right, and remove his name from both the special election and primary ballots."

McMurray:

Western New Yorkers were shocked to learn endorsed Republican candidate for the NY- 27 Congressional District Chris Jacobs was called out for alleged voter and election fraud.

The Erie County District Attorney received a complaint against Jacobs including the following allegations: that Jacobs was registered to vote in the Orchard Park District before owning his home, that he voted from the newly registered home less than 30 days before owning the home, and that he filed primary residence documents that he lived within the 27th District before doing so.

Democratic congressional candidate Nate McMurray joined Republican candidate Beth Parlato in calling for Jacobs to pull out of the race.

“After so much corruption here on the 27th, we now have another endorsed Republican candidate who appears to be lying to the voters already. He has high paid consultants. This was no accident. It’s fraud.

The people of this district cannot afford another entitled and detached millionaire. He’s proving he’s nothing more than that, and he shouldn’t be in office. I call on Chris Jacobs to do the right thing and drop out of this race,” said Nate McMurray.

Press release:

As of 2 p.m.

• Genesee County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 206 positive cases.
  • Zero of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Zero of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
• Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19 today, for a total of 259 positive cases.
  • Three of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Twelve of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

Press release:

On Wednesday, June 17, at or about 6:10 p.m., Batavia police officers responded to the area of Clinton Street for a juvenile that had flagged down a neighbor, requesting help.

Patrols arrived on scene and located two local residents sitting with a juvenile and James McNally standing near them. Patrols separated McNally from the juvenile and residents.

The residents indicated that the juvenile told them, that he needed help getting away from McNally.

Patrols interviewed the juvenile briefly and concluded that the juvenile had accepted a ride from McNally from DeWitt Recreation Area, with the intentions of McNally driving the juvenile to his residence.

While transporting the juvenile, McNally allegedly attempted to grope the juvenile. The juvenile feigned sickness so McNally would pull off to the side of the road. The juvenile then exited the vehicle and ascertained help at the nearest residence.

Upon discovering the alleged incident, Batavia police officers promptly took McNally into custody and transported him away from the juvenile.

McNally was arrested for endangering the welfare of a child (a misdemeanor) and forcible touching (a misdemeanor) via Skype in Batavia City Court by Judge Durin Rogers.

McNally was released under the supervision of Genesee Justice, and an order of protection was issued. McNally is scheduled to appear in Batavia City Court at a later time.

The Batavia Police Department would like to take a quick moment to update the community and parents on new abduction prevention ideas.

Instead of “Stranger Danger,” try using the following language when talking to your child about abduction prevention:

• Don’t say: Never talk to strangers.
• Say: You should not approach just anyone. If you need help, look for a uniformed police officer, a store clerk with a nametag, or a parent with children.
• Don’t say: Stay away from people you don’t know.
• Say: It’s important for you to get my permission before going anywhere with anyone.
• Don't say: You can tell someone is bad just by looking at them.
• Say: Pay attention to what people do. Tell me right away if anyone asks you to keep a secret, makes you feel uncomfortable, or tries to get you to go with them.

“Since then, I’ve been learning a ton about City Council and the inner workings of it,” said Paradise (photo at right), who met with City management and law enforcement on June 1 in an attempt to set up the barbecue at Williams Park on June 7. “Local politics have always been of interest to me, and I’ve been an advocate for peace since the Iraq War.”

Paradise, speaking by telephone on Wednesday, said things have been smoothed over now, but he is disappointed that City leaders backed off on assurances that they would support the barbecue, which was to take place in lieu of a proposed March for Justice protest in Downtown Batavia.

As it turned out, the protest did take place on that first Sunday of this month and it proved to be peaceful.

According to Paradise, the BBQ for Equality evolved from the City taking a stance against a march or protest. He said that he and co-organizer, Chelsea Bianchi, of Le Roy, met with City Manager Martin Moore, Assistant Manager Rachael Tabelski, Police Chief Shawn Heubusch and Assistant Chief Chris Camp.

“When we originally sat down, they said that they were completely against any protest whatsoever and asked if we had any other things as alternatives to make it a little more peaceful,” said Paradise, 35, an employee of WNY Developmental Disabilities State Operations and Offices. “We had come up with the idea of doing the barbecue. As soon as it was mentioned, Heubusch started to agree to it, thinking that was probably the best way. He suggested doing it at Williams Park.”

Paradise said that Moore was asked if state regulations concerning COVID-19 would allow for such a gathering, and responded that it was just a suggestion from the governor, not necessarily a regulation, and that “we could get past the COVID aspect.”

“Then we asked them what we would be able to do about the food and electric situation at the park,” Paradise said. “Heubusch and Moore talked about the idea of including City Church and Heubusch pretty much said that he was almost 100-percent sure that City Church would help with the food aspect of it. Moore said that he would be able to turn the electricity on, but would not be able to open the restrooms due to the COVID aspect.”

Tabelski then offered to post promotional material on the City’s website, he said.

“She asked me to make a flier right away, which I did, and I sent that to her,” he noted. “I have email correspondence stating that it’s all a go, and we’re moving forward.”

The next day, a letter from Heubusch directed to City business owners went out, which, to Paradise, “was kind of almost a warning to the Batavia businesses that we were having this event.”

Paradise said plans for the barbecue went south after City Council President Eugene Jankowski apparently had received reports about the meeting.

“Jankowski said something to us after we had started promoting the flier,” Paradise said. “He had mentioned in a comment – at this point, I had no clue who he was – that it needed to be agreed upon by City Council, and that there is no City-sanctioned event.”

Paradise acknowledged that he wasn’t aware of the City’s application process (and wasn’t advised of one).

“If I would have known, I probably would have asked for more assurances on paper. I just assumed that because the City police chief and manager are saying ‘yes’, that it was a definite. Obviously, I was in over my head,” he said.

Paradise said he called Heubusch prior to a scheduled meeting on Wednesday afternoon, and got the news that the City was unable to proceed as planned “due to the issues with City Council and getting the proper permission.”

He also said the police chief urged him to cancel the protest.

“At this time, I was in correspondence with Greg Munroe, Ray Williams and Vic Thomas (members of the March for Justice team that organized the protest),” Paradise said. “They had decided that the barbecue wasn’t really their thing and wanted to move forward with the protest. I told Heubusch that I was going to follow their lead now and I would no longer push the barbecue issue.”

Jankowski, acting as a Batavia resident and not speaking on behalf of the City, issued a public apology on Wednesday:

“I would like to personally apologize to the BBQ for Equality organizers, Macy Paradise and Chelsea Bianchi, for any misunderstanding I may have caused involving the cancellation of their event. I’m confident we can continue to move forward in a positive direction.”

Previously, Jankowski said he was sorry on a Facebook post, which read, in part:

“The city manager made all the promises Macy said he did even though he wasn’t authorized to do so. I was given misinformation and I believed it. I apologize and I am working to make it right with Greg (Munroe), Macy and Chelsea.”

Moore, contacted by phone on June 10, said he did not wish to comment about any possible miscommunication.

Paradise said he “appreciates the apology.”

“I am actually friends now with Jankowski on Facebook and we’ve had a couple conversations privately since that time,” he said. “We have handled it exactly how you would expect it to be handled – very maturely. We’re good. I would say that moving forward, we’re definitely able to work together.”

Paradise said that he was confident that the March for Justice protest, which drew several hundred people, would remain peaceful and safe.

“If there wasn’t so much City resistance, I would have moved forward with (promoting the protest),” he said. “I have way too many friends, locally, that are business owners and I wasn’t willing to put anything in danger when it comes to the City, our community.”

He said his "Embrace Racial Equality" group on Facebook has grown to more than 2,000 local members in the two weeks that it has been posted.

“It’s really just a news resource where people can come and asked questions, get educated on the movement, receive some background knowledge, and ask questions of City Council and other officials,” he said.

Paradise also said he hopes to revive discussions to hold a BBQ for Equality.

“The BBQ for Equality is just postponed, really. It’s not necessarily cancelled,” he said. “We’re planning to do that in the fall with live entertainment. Hopefully, we can work with the City to see about getting the application.”

This weekend, the March for Justice group is conducting a June Teenth Freedom Day, a register-to-vote celebration, set for 3 to 8 p.m. Friday and noon to 7 p.m. Saturday on the parking lot of the YWCA of Genesee County at 301 North St., Batavia.

The event will feature food, beverages and live entertainment. On Friday, Paradise will provide the music in his role as DJ Macy Paradise and will be accompanied by his girlfriend, Nicole "Nici" Johnson of WBTA Radio.

YWCA Executive Director Millie Tomidy-Pepper said she’s on board with it, but did advise that social distancing guidelines will be enforced and that participants are required to wear masks.

“We wholeheartedly are supportive of the group, its mission and the event,” she said. “As you know, the YWCA stands for peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.”