batavia

State Police are investigating an apparent shots-fired incident at 5066 Clinton Street Road, Batavia.

A photo of a white SUV submitted by a reader looks like it could be an unmarked law enforcement vehicle and shows, potentially, six bullet pockmarks, including four in the windshield.

According to Trooper James O'Callahan, the public information officer for Troop A, there were no injuries. However, O'Callahan was not on duty Wednesday night, and he said he couldn't provide more information until Thursday.

The vehicle was unoccupied at the time the shots were fired, O'Callahan said. O'Callahan did not comment on whether the vehicle was law enforcement or not.

He said an arrest has been made.

UPDATE: Press release from NYSP, Troop A:

On August 28, 2024, The Bureau of Criminal Investigation arrested Robert J. Talbot, 48 with no known address for Reckless Endangerment 1st degree, Criminal Mischief 3rd degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th degree (2 counts).

On August 28, 2024, at 12:39 P.M., Troopers out of SP Batavia responded to a complaint of a parked vehicle believed to be shot by a weapon at Babcock Mobile Home Park, Clinton Street Road in the town of Batavia. Investigation determined that an unoccupied 2016 Ford Explorer parked on the street was shot multiple times in the windshield. The NYSP Forensic Identification Unit began processing the scene to designate an area of interest as to where the shots originated from. With further interviews and after processing the scene, Talbot was arrested and the two weapons a Savage Mark II .22 LR Rifle and an H+R 1871 Pardner Pump 20 gage shotgun were recovered from the residence following a consent to search. Talbot is a convicted felon.

Talbot was transported to SP Batavia for processing and taken to Genesee County CAP Court pending arraignment.   

Barriers have been put up on the corner, and work has begun inside the former Batavia Restaurant Supply building at West Main and South Lyon streets in preparation for the demolition of the Batavia site to make way for a future Burger King.

After several trips between the city and county planning boards in 2022 and 2023, applicant Carrols LLC, represented by Peter Sorgi, was making headway with two variances, one of which included a reduced parking lot size. 

The applicant plans to move from its current spot on the north side of West Main Street to 301-305 W. Main St., where having a traffic light at the corner and more space for a bigger drive-through restaurant were mentioned as benefits for building a new location.

Meanwhile, BRS, owned by Nate Charvella and Stacey Schrader, has since moved westward to 4152 W. Main St., Suite 18A, Valu Plaza. Beverly's Flowers & Gifts, owned by Russ Fitzgibbon and adjacent to the restaurant supply company, moved to 228 W. Main St. 

An official date for the new Burger King has been a moving target, with spring to fall 2024 as the potential initial construction phase. The Batavian has requested a comment from Sorgi and will provide an update if/when Sorgi responds. 

Work crews have been out on the streets for milling, and are expected to be wrapping up by the end of Thursday, according to a prior city announcement. 

All motorists have been forewarned that they will experience traffic delays this week between the hours of 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. for milling operations on any of the following:

• Dellinger Avenue
• Douglas Street
• Evans Street
• Jackson Avenue
• Jefferson Avenue
• Kibbe

For Joseph Oddo, a Batavia native and Army veteran, it didn’t take long to name what’s kept him going for a century.

“I always help people out. That’s why I think the Lord blessed me, because, you know, the things I did in my life to help people,” the newly turned 100-year-old said during an interview with The Batavian. “I worked with people. I kept going all the time.”

Oddo will be celebrating his 75th wedding anniversary with his wife Fran on Sept. 24 — a date he joked he had not better forget. She stayed home to care for their children while he was on the road a lot, he said, as his work ethic didn’t just get him through jobs but through life.

“So everything worked out,” he said. “I kept myself busy, kept going. I always did that. When you come from a family of 10 kids …”

As the oldest in his family, he learned early on, which originated from his dad arriving “off the boat” from Sicily with a sponsorship from a Le Roy resident, that he needed to forge ahead with whatever came his way.

That included doing his patriotic duty right out of high school graduation in 1942, he said.  A military draft had just been declared, and the government wasted no time pulling young boys into service. Oddo was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served with the Signal Corps 234, a 3342 signal battalion, he said.

“I still remember, and in the battalion, various different companies. So I was a 231st company, which dealt with radio, telephone and teletype. My job was a W8, a double E day was a field telephone. That was my job, and I made sure that those are operating, and the people that had them made sure that they were getting the right information,” he said. “Because, you know, we were in Persia, they call it Iran today. See, when the Germans pushed, I mean they pushed, what’s it called, the Germans into Russia, came in with a lot of equipment, they talked about, they came along with tanks and guns and everything else.

We were just outside of Tehran into white Russia, so to speak, and that’s where we were stationed, and that’s how we kept the communications going from that point on because we could reach the troops and everybody from that point,” he said. “I served three years in World War II. I got my notice in December ’42, so in January ’43 I got inducted. I went to Fort Niagara.”

He became a leader right away when he was put in charge of troops. Then, he said, they boarded a train to New Jersey for training. 

“And then all of a sudden, I had to go to Fort Monmouth for two months. And it teaches all the communications of telephone and teletype and radio and all that,” he said, referring to another time during service. “We all worked together and stuff like that. Occasionally, we had guard duty. They had a lot of German prisoners, we used to guard them at night time, that was our duty some times. We put switchboards out in the field and we had to operate switchboards because they were contacting what was on the other side of Germany.”

When he returned in January 1946, he resumed working at Doehler Jarvis even though he was “a little upset” that he couldn’t go on to school. 

“When I couldn’t go to school, I had to go to the Army. I did my duty and said, ‘Why did you pick on me? I was only 18 years old, you know. But you had to serve your country. I did it,” he said. “I was told Jarvis said they wanted me; I became a steward. They made me the president of the union. I ran for president, and that was president of four plants in Chicago, Toledo, Grand Rapids and Pottstown, Pennsylvania.”

He did such a great job, in fact, that he was offered a job in Detroit for the United Auto Workers. Sell your house and move, he was told. He worked with the union for many years, negotiating contracts and such, traveling to California and “all over the place,” he said. He was so good at negotiating and so fierce that he was even dubbed “Jimmy Hoffa,” he said. 

He couldn’t sell their local home and move, however, due to his wife’s mother, who had a disability and wanted her daughter close by.

Oddo never had a gap in employment, being offered various jobs throughout his life — a testament to that work ethic no doubt. He and Fran have two children, Sal Oddo and Marianne Anderson, and they still live in the Southside home they bought in 1960.

Through all these years, he has retained his memories and the drive to do what Joe Oddo does best.

“Keep going; it’s the key. Don’t stop,” he said. “I’m 100 years old, I’m still going. I do things, you know, work outside, clean. I do everything right now.”  

During a heatwave in early July, Premier Genesee Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation faced several related challenges:  the nursing home’s HVAC system faltered, the mechanical room overheated, and the elevators broke down, creating a potentially hazardous situation for the senior residents.

When City of Batavia Fire Captain Bob Fix was called to the scene, he didn’t merely give a standard response. He exceeded expectations, Supervising Administrator Samantha Vagg says.

"Captain Fix stuck out because of how he guided younger firefighters and frequently called back after his team left to make sure our facility was okay,” Vagg said to The Batavian.  

His proactive approach, including collaborating with nursing home staff and coordinating with National Grid, prevented further issues, Vagg said, which prompted her to nominate Fix for Erie County Fair’s Firefighter Honoree Award.

The award, which was presented to Fix on Aug. 18, is given to individuals who exemplify the highest standards of the fire service, showcasing a notable record of service, achievement, and selflessness.

City Fire Chief Josh Graham spoke highly of Captain Fix, emphasizing that the department’s standard is to go above and beyond. He added that the entire department takes pride in Fix’s recognition, which reflects the collective dedication that defines the firefighters’ work.

"Captain Fix is a dedicated professional and a true asset to our community,” Graham said. “We are honored to have him represent Local 896 as Sunday's Firefighter Honoree.”

Fix, a 21-year veteran of the fire department, said that no matter how bad his day might be going at work, “whoever’s calling for help is having a worse day than me.”

“If I can do a little extra, why not?” he said, remaining rather modest about the recognition. "I'm just the guy that got nominated for the award."

He deflected praise aimed at him instead to his entire team and the nursing home staff, who he said played a crucial role during the emergency. Vagg said that she would have nominated the whole department if she could have since it “is so professional every time we interact.”

Firefighting is not just a career but a calling in his family, Fix said. Being honored at the fair became a full-circle moment for him, combining his love for the community with his lifelong commitment to public service. He’s also quick to point out that the department does so many other things within the community.

"My father was a firefighter, and I've been going to the fair for as long as I can remember,” he said. "We’re there for car accidents, technical rescues, building safety inspections, and more. In October, we’ll focus on fire prevention, going into schools to teach fire safety. It’s all part of the job."

The seemingly anti-business posture of New York's government dominated a conversation on Tuesday at Chapin International in Batavia during Assemblyman Steve Hawley's visit with CEO Tim Onello and other Chapin executives.

Onello said it would help the state's business climate by lowering taxes and reducing mandates and regulations.

"There's just all the extra laws and things you have to maneuver when you're in New York," said Onello, a Buffalo native who became CEO four months ago.

The barriers to business expansion drove Chapin, said Bill Kegler, VP of operations, to open a plant in Kentucky a few years ago.

"We had to go out of state ... unfortunately, because the environment in New York is restrictive and tough, just tough to grow a business," Kegler said. "It's just not conducive to success, to the continued company success."

Hawley noted the echo of history.  Chapin occupies the former Sylvania factory, which relocated to Tennessee in 1976.

"It has been a recurring theme economically speaking and business speaking for many, many decades," Hawley said. "Apparently, we didn't learn from our past mistakes."

Onello said Chapin has no specific legislative requests at the moment and with the Legislature in between sessions, Hawley didn't have much to offer in the way of possible business-related bills the Legislature might consider.

After the talk, Hawley was provided a tour of the factory.

Previously: Genesee County's oldest manufacturing company celebrates 140 years in business

Press Release:

A casualty of the pandemic, Rudely Stamp’d’s production of “Now We Stand by Each Other Always” had a great three-year run touring the eastern United States from New York to Florida between 2017 and 2020.

After a long hiatus, Rudely Stamp’d has revived “Now We Stand…” with a performance at the Main Street 56 Theater in Batavia on September 20 at 7 p.m. with other tour dates to follow.

Written and directed by Derek Maxfield, a history professor at a local community college, the three-act play “Now We Stand by Each Other Always” features a series of conversations between Union generals Ulysses S. Grant – played by Derek Maxfield - and William Tecumseh Sherman during the Civil War. 

Much of the dialog is drawn from historic sources and seeks to capture the evolving relationship between the generals over the course of the conflict with scenes featuring conversations at Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1863, Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1864 and City Point, Virginia in 1865 – just weeks before Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House.

The reboot also features a new face. During the pre-pandemic run, Tracy Ford brilliantly played the part of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. The role will now be filled by Daniel Snyder, a professor at a local community college. 

Folks might remember Dan from his role in “Brothers at Odds” about the Brisbane family of Batavia. Dan played the eccentric Albert Brisbane, whom he also portrays for the Batavia Cemetery’s annual ghost walk.

In addition to Maxfield as Grant and Snyder as Sherman, the play also features a supporting cast featuring Jess Maxfield as Julia Grant and a special appearance by Thomas Schobert as Gen. John A. Rawlins.

Tickets are available through the Main Street 56 Theater box office at https://our.show/nowwestand-2024.

For more information, contact Derek Maxfield at ddmaxfieldhistorian@gmail.com.

Submitted photos.

Batavia PD's softball team could have used somebody to put out the fire at Dwyer Stadium on Sunday, but City Fire was a little busy fanning the flames on the way to a 23-3 victory in the annual Battle of the Badges.

In four matches, the boys in blue have managed only one victory.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Jon H. Bush, Jr., 41, of Batavia, was arrested on two warrants and also charged with assault 2nd and obstructing governmental administration 2nd.  On Aug. 5, Batavia patrol officers conducted a traffic stop on Park Road and observed Bush attempting to hide in the back seat. Officers were aware of warrants for Bush's arrest. He was ordered to exit the vehicle. After getting out, Bush allegedly attempted to flee on foot. He allegedly fought with officers and injured one of them before he was taken into custody. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed without bail.

Vinayek A. Graves, 20, of Kansas City, Kansas, is charged with possession of a forged instrument 2nd, identity theft 1st, and forgery 2nd. Graves was arrested on Aug. 8 following an investigation into a fraud complaint. He was arraigned and released.

Nicholas M. Ricigliano, 40, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Ricigliano is accused of stealing an umbrella stand from a business on Bank Street on Aug. 21. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Branco J. Blanco, 60, of Batavia, is charged with dog running at large and owning an unlicensed dog. It is alleged that Blanco allowed two dogs to run at large on State Street on Aug. 18. The dogs allegedly bit a person who was walking in the area.  Blanco was issued an appearance ticket.

Jeffrey G. Ellinwood, 65, of Batavia, was charged with criminal trespass 2nd and criminal mischief 4th. It's alleged that Ellinwood broke into a residence on Porter Avenue on Aug. 15. He was arraigned and released.

Jerry T. Saddler, Jr., 48, is charged with criminal mischief 4th, criminal obstruction of breathing, and harassment 2nd. Saddler is accused of striking another person, grabbing that person by the neck, and taking the person's phone to keep the person from calling for help. He also faces charges from an Aug. 14 of criminal obstruction of breathing involving the same victim. He was arraigned in City Court and held in the Genesee County Jail.

Michael C. Smith, 32, of Batavia, was arrested on four warrants. The warrants were issued after Smith allegedly failed to appear in court on four separate criminal cases. He was arraigned in City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail. 

Geoffrey M. Anderson, Jr., of Brockport, was arrested on Aug. 16 on two warrants, including a warrant alleging bail jumping 3rd. The warrants were issued after Anderson allegedly failed to appear in court on a trespassing charge from 2017. He was arraigned in City Court and released. 

Aaron Joshua Anwar, 18, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Anwar is accused of stealing merchandise from Dick's Sporting Goods on July 31 at 3:03 p.m. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.

Leeanne Krull, 55, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Krull is accused of violating an order of protection at 12:43 p.m. on July 31 at a location on West Main Street Road, Batavia.  The order of protection had been issued in Centralized Arraignment Part Court just hours earlier. Krull was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.

Justin Timothy Gladney Sr., 35, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with promoting prison contraband 1st and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th.  Gladney is accused of bringing crack cocaine into the Genesee County Jail at 9 a.m. on Aug. 1. He was held for arraignment.

Tricia M. Blatt, 37, of East Main Street, Byron, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child.  Deputies were dispatched at 1:40 a.m. Aug. 3, to Byron to investigate a complaint of a broken window, possible criminal mischief.  Deputies located Blatt and determined she was allegedly too impaired to care for her child. There was no evidence of criminal mischief. Blatt was arraigned and released.

The following people were charged on Aug. 1 while attending the Kenny Chesney concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center:

• Jonathon M. Morris, 19, of Rochester, was charged with trespass after allegedly reentering the concert venue following an ejection.
• Avery J. Dieterle, 19, of Akron, is charged with trespass after allegedly reentering the concert venue following an ejection.
• William A. McCray, 57, no permanent address, is charged with harassment 2nd after allegedly striking another person while inside the concert venue.

Press Release:

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) is excited to announce an exceptional opportunity for artists of all disciplines living and/or working in Genesee and Orleans Counties. In partnership with the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), GO ART! is accepting applications for the NYSCA/NYFA Artist as Entrepreneur Program. The program is free to participants.

This intensive 3.5-day professional development program is designed to empower artists across all disciplines—including visual, literary, performing arts, and more—with the essential tools needed to achieve sustainability and success in their creative endeavors. Whether you’re an emerging artist looking to build a strong foundation or an established professional seeking new strategies and networks, this program offers a dynamic platform to enhance your creative practice.

Program Highlights:

• Comprehensive Content: Participants will explore key topics such as strategic planning, marketing, fundraising, financial literacy, and art law. The curriculum includes materials from NYFA’s renowned textbook, The Profitable Artist.
• Work Sample Reviews: Receive personalized feedback from professionals in your field, offering valuable insights into the jury selection process and your artistic presentation.
• Peer Network: Join a community of like-minded peers across various disciplines, fostering connections that extend beyond the program.
• Access to Experts: Engage with NYFA’s expert staff and local arts industry leaders, including funders, curators, publishers, and artistic directors.
• Artist Action Plan: Develop a personalized blueprint for your practice or specific arts project, with opportunities to discuss and refine your plan within the peer group.
• Engagement with the Creative Community: The program structure includes presentations, panels, interactive workshops, and breakout sessions tailored to the needs of participants.

Eligibility and Application:

• Who Can Apply: Artists of all disciplines and career stages, including students, who are living and/or working in Genesee or Orleans Counties
• Application Deadline: Monday, September 23, 11:59 p.m. Applications must be submitted via Submittable.

Program Dates:

• Meet and Greet and Introductions: Thursday, November 7 from 5 - 8 p.m. 
• Intensive Sessions: Friday - Saturday, November 8 - 10 from 10a.m. - 4 p.m. daily

Don’t miss this unique chance to grow your artistic career with guidance from leading professionals in the field. Currently accepting applications. For more information and to apply visit https://www.nyfa.org/professional-development/entrepreneurial-intensives/ Please email questions to learning@nyfa.org with the subject line “Artist as Entrepreneur, GO ART!.” 

This program is made possible through New York State Council on the Arts, State & Local Partnerships with the support of the Governor's Office and the New York State Legislature.

Press Release:

The Books Sandwiched In committee is pleased to announce the Fall 2024 Series of Books Sandwiched In! Sessions will take place on Wednesdays in September from 12:10 p.m. - 1 p.m. in the Gallery Room.

Books Sandwiched In is a book review program, in which guest speakers are invited to present reviews of books, usually non-fiction titles. This fall’s theme encourages attendees to explore “America’s National Parks,” in keeping with the theme of the 2024 Richmond Reads title, The Last Ranger by Peter Heller.

“Attendees are not required or expected to read the books in advance,” shares program coordinator Samantha Stryker. “Rather, think of it as a way to learn a little something and figure out which books you may want to read.”

Each session will feature cookies, coffee, tea, and a chance to win a gift certificate to a local lunch spot. On your lunch break? Feel free to bring your lunch! 

Fall 2024 Books & Speakers:

Wednesday, September 4 at 12:10 p.m. - Explore the Everglades: Genesee County Park Conservation Education Program Coordinator, Claudia Nusstein, reviews "Gator Country: Deception, Danger and Alligators in the Everglades" by Rebecca Renner

Wednesday, September 11 at 12:10 p.m. - Explore Yellowstone: Retired Teacher & NIOGA Board Trustee, Jeff Laub, reviews "Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America" by Megan Kate Nelson

Wednesday, September 18 at 12:10 p.m. - Explore the Grand Canyon: Retired School Counselor and avid outdoorsperson, Janice Spiotta, reviews A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko

Wednesday, September 25 at 12:10 p.m. - Explore Yosemite: BCSD Superintendent of Schools Jason Smith reviews Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship that Saved Yosemite" by Dean King 

Books Sandwiched In is sponsored by the Friends of Richmond Memorial Library. All are welcome and this program is free to attend!

Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross St in the City of Batavia. For more information about the library and other programs, visit batavialibrary.org.

Kids at Jackson Primary School will return to a surprise landscape inside the hallway this fall.

Based on the “KEY” principles of kindness, empathy and you, artist Linda Fix painted a large swath of artistic scenery this past month.

Principal Maureen Notaro had already instilled the concept of community helpers at the school, such as police officers, firefighters and doctors, which reminded Fix of the familiar phrase “it takes a village.”

She wanted to add the American flag to her design and talked to Notaro about what she wanted to incorporate.

“She really wanted children in it. She loved the flags, one of the American flags in it, so I went and designed it. And my designs are an interesting process because they never end up quite the way they begin, and that's what I love about art and creativity,” Fix said to The Batavian. “It never ends really the way you had it in your mind. But you get a piece of it, you know, you can recognize it. But along the way, so many things change. 

"As I'm painting, children walk by, and they say things they love, and I catch their favorite colors, and I ask them, what would you like to see in the picture and the painting? And they tell me flowers over here. And they'll point to an area, so I'll paint their favorite color, rather, in a flower," she said. "So it became a journey for me.”

Fix applied for and was awarded a $5,000 grant from GO Art! for the project. It’s the second of its kind for a mural in a city school. The first one was at John Kennedy Intermediate last year. 

Fix credits former school employee Julia Rogers and GO Art! staffer Mary Jo Whitman for helping to coordinate the efforts, and wanted to give a shout-out to Sherwin-Williams of Batavia for a generous sampling of paint in just the right blue shades she needed.

After getting a sense of what Notaro wanted to see on the Jackson school walls, Fix then got to work. She chalked an outline of her design, which she began in late June of this year. There was a lapse for some vacation between then and when she really began the serious work in mid-July.

“I worked on it every day until (Thursday), for three or four hours a day, on the entire wall,” she said. “Maureen is a very ambitious principal; she's a very forward principal, and I love that about her. She said, hey, can we add a rainbow at the end of it with the sun and do it in metallic, she loved my metallic paint, so I put that there, and then in the front foyer, I also did another rainbow, because then they can hang the children's different artwork and things like that around it. 

“So it kind of added a little bit to the timeframe for me,” she said. “But, you know, it was okay. I was fine with it. I have enjoyed painting it so much, and so has the community.”

Last year she then made contact with folks that arranged for a traveling mural of the artwork. That involved a professional photographer and transferring the art onto a huge 8-foot-by-8-foot piece of canvas that is displayed on an easel and transported around the district. 

A traveling mural will be part of this year’s grant, and it will be forthcoming by the end of the year," she said.

Although kindness is widely taught in schools now, she said, it seems as though empathy is not as well known, which is why she favors that second word in the acronym of KEY. 

“Because empathy isn’t something we teach,” she said. “How do we teach children to really understand that?”

The traveling mural is to help educate kids on that empathy component, she said. Last year there were also children’s workshops along with the traveling mural, and those details have to be worked out for this year, Fix said. She thinks the traveling part of the project will probably be out and about in October or November. 

Asked about her favorite part of this year’s mural, Fix thought to the day her grandson Waylon accompanied her to school. He thoughtfully watched and observed her splash on colors and a continuing story before offering his own suggestion. There were children, a wise owl, school buses, white clouds, a blue sky, rolling hills, and math equations, but something was missing, he told her. 

“He said you need a park in here. And he picked where it should go, and it was his idea,” she said of her 9-year-old artist-in-training. “And I would never have thought of a park. It has evergreen trees, and children are sitting on a rock.”

When Fix was taking art lessons, she told her teacher she wanted to paint billboards someday, and the male teacher scoffed, “Miranda, you can’t do that,” referring to her artist pseudonym, Miranda Fix. 

Now, having just completed another project doing something that she loves in the hallway for hundreds of children to see, she may have accomplished that billboard after all. What is a billboard if not an artful display of thoughts?

Come Sept. 5, many youngsters will be treated to that once they enter Jackson.

“That'll be a surprise when the children come back in. We have a lot of hidden things, a lot of hidden gems,” she said. “We represented everyone. We tried to represent the janitors in the school, we tried to represent numbers, and the big clock you see has all the community helpers, symbols of community helpers in the clock. So, yeah, there's a lot of just little thoughts.”

Press Release:

The Batavia Social Security Office will be temporarily closed to walk-in visitors on Thursday, August 22 and Friday, August 23, due to renovations. The office will return to normal services on Monday, August 26.  You may continue to reach staff of the Batavia SSA office by calling 1-866-931-7103.

People needing to conduct their Social Security business in person while the Batavia office is temporarily closed may visit one of the following SSA offices:

• Greece – 2nd Floor, 4050 W Ridge Rd, Rochester
• Rochester – 2nd Floor, 200 E. Main Street, Rochester

SSA office hours are from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  

Save a trip!  Most Social Security services do not require the public to take time to visit an office.  Many Social Security services are conveniently available online at www.ssa.gov or by dialing toll-free, 1-800-772-1213.  People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call SSA’s TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.

People may create their my Social Security account, a personalized online service, at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.  If they already receive Social Security benefits, they can start or change direct deposit online, request a replacement SSA-1099, and if they need proof of their benefits, they can print or download a current Benefit Verification Letter from their account.  People not yet receiving benefits can use their online account to get a personalized Social Security Statement, which provides their earnings information as well as estimates of their future benefits.  The portal also includes a retirement calculator and links to information about other online services.

Need a Social Security Number card?

Please note for many situations people only need their number and not the card.  If they need a card, they should start the process online.

People can visit www.ssa.gov/ssnumber to submit a request for a replacement card, start an application for an updated card, or to request a Social Security number for the first time.  Some people may not need to visit an office and, if they do need to visit an office to complete the application, they will save a lot of time by starting online.

Want to apply for benefits?

People can apply online for most benefits.  In many cases, there are no forms to sign.  The agency will review the application and reach out with questions or for more information.  Visit www.ssa.gov/onlineservices to apply for retirement, disability, or Medicare.

Need proof of benefits, want to check the status of an application or appeal, or curious what else people can do online?

Visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount or www.ssa.gov/onlineservices today.