batavia

The city and town of Batavia have potentially come to an agreement about wastewater capacity, and HP Hood will be able to proceed with its $120 million expansion project that’s been halted since March, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

Hood’s project was, which involved a state environmental review, temporarily stalled when the city discovered that the town was in violation of a contracted wastewater capacity limit and had also taken on the lead agency role for the proposed expansion of process lines with no word to the city.

At that point, the city said the project cannot proceed, and it has been halted ever since. When asked about the project since then, Tabelski has said that “we are in active negotiations with the towns regarding a new purchase capacity agreement” and an agreement has now been reached.

“We will lift the SEQR challenge to the HP Hood project,” Tabelski said to The Batavian Monday evening, though the agreement still has to go through the official process of votes by the town board and City Council. 

Tabelski reviewed the new purchasing terms during Monday’s conference session. The town’s total wastewater flows average 1.4 million gallons per day at four total pump stations, which exceeds the town’s current contractual limit, Tabelski said. The current sewer capacity limit of the town is 850,000 GPD as established in the wastewater facility agreement of Feb. 23, 2015 between the city and town of Batavia.

A new agreement means the town can purchase an additional 350,000 GPD of treatment capacity for a total of 1.2 million for $1,382,500. If the town goes past the 1.2 million, a higher rate of purchase kicks in — the penalty rate — which serves as incentive for the town to remain at that 1.2 million output, Tabelski said. 

“We’re trying to incentivize them. We know they’re at 1.4, but we’re trying to get it down to 1.2,” Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said. 

Councilman Rich Richmond said that he was looking at the overage rates and believes “that’s a pretty good incentive.”

“So I want to thank you for doing this because I know, I heard how long it took, you had infinite patience, and you negotiated very well for the city,” he said. 

Jankowski asked if City Attorney George Van Nest reviewed the deal. He looked at it and worked with the city manager and assistant manager to ensure the numbers covered the city’s thresholds, he said. 

“I'm very concerned about making sure that we're within our operating limits, that we’re not pushing it too far, or as much as I love to help out, we only have so much capacity,” Jankowski said.

Jankowski preferred to move the vote to a future meeting so the council could get more public input rather than vote immediately, he said. The town of Batavia is expected to discuss the agreement at its next meeting on Sept. 18. 

At this time and until this agreement amendment is revisited, the town's total threshold will be 1,650,000 gallons per day max discharge. The city and town agree to meet every six months to review town flows to ensure that the town stays below the 1.65 GPD max discharge. If it is determined that the town has exceeded that amount, the city reserves all rights and remedies to protect the wastewater treatment facility permit. 

Does the city have enough capacity to maintain this additional amount for the town long-term? Is there a future solution?

“Town and city (of Batavia) have plans to move forward with a wastewater treatment plant growth study to support future development,” Tabelski said. “There is remaining capacity reserved for O-AT-KA, other city industries, and housing in the city of Batavia.”

Given the uncertainty regarding the wastewater treatment plant draft permit limits, the town will be solely responsible for funding an expansion study, which will be initiated as soon as practically possible. The city will act as project manager of the expansion study with a professional engineering firm of its selection and will bill the town as invoices are received.

In 1983, the city and town entered into a wastewater facility agreement that outlined the ownership and operation of the new treatment plant. In February 2015, they entered into a wastewater facility agreement and a wastewater metering agreement. The city currently owns 84.55% of the total plant capacity, and the town owns 15.45%. 

Due to ongoing development in the town, including the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park, the town’s sanitary sewer flows are exceeding the contractual limit of .85 million gallons per day (MGD) or 15.45% of the total capacity, Tableksi said. 

Each city and town resolution in May 2023 identified the parties’ mutual concerns about potential increased flow resulting from the Kings Plaza pump station project, and the average sewer flow was 1.2 MGD. In fall 2023, the town advised the city that HP Hood was expanding but that it was only the warehouse and would not create additional demand for water or sewer capacity. Hood already discharges 1.1 to 1.2 MGD. By the end of 2023, the town’s average sewer flow had increased to 1.33 MGD, Tabelski said. 

“This is well in excess of the town’s contractual limit of .85 MGD,” she said. “Consequently, the town has no capacity to allocate to expansion of HP Hood or any other facility at this time.” 

The city also cannot permit increased sewer flows from the town of Batavia until the wastewater treatment plan expansion study is complete, she said. 

“The city and town still need to enter into a proposed wastewater agreement that was circulated in January 2024. However, this agreement will still not allow for increased discharge beyond 1.2 MGD. This pending agreement will be the town’s limit for wastewater discharge.”

As for its objection to the town being lead agency for the Hood project, Tabelski said that “the town has failed to accurately and timely inform the city about the expansion of wastewater capacity demand at the Ag Park.”

“In addition, the town is in breach of the wastewater agreement with the city by discharging in excess of .85 MGD,” she said. “A lead agent under SEQR is responsible for thoroughly and accurately evaluating the potential environmental impacts prior to making a determination of significance on the action.

“The town’s excess wastewater discharge beyond contract limits threatens the city’s discharge limits and has the potential to exceed the city’s (State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit,” she said. “As a result, the city objects to the town’s lead agency designation for this action under SEQR.”

This has been a good week for Hood, which was named Dairy Plant of the Year. The Hood expansion is to be 32,500 square feet and pledges to create 48 new jobs while retaining 455 full-time equivalent jobs at the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park. This project accommodates its automatic storage and retrieval system refrigerated warehouse. It will also include new batching and processing systems and other upgrades, which will allow the company to increase capacity and begin a new production line.

For prior coverage about this issue, go to wastewater.

Eight years after acquiring a plant in Batavia originally designed to produce a Greek-style yogurt marketed as such, H.P. Hood has been honored by an industry trade magazine for operating 2024's Dairy Plant of the Year.

The honor follows the company's being named partner of the year for 2020 by Genesee County Economic Development Center and winning an operational excellence award in 2023 by Buffalo Business First.

Dairy Plant of the Year is an honor bestowed by the dairy industry publication Dairy Foods.

The award recognizes the 458,000-square-foot H.P. Hood plant for its automation processing equipment, wide array of products it produces, employee safety record, sustainability efforts, and community involvement.

The Lynnfield, Mass.-based company employs 418 people in Batavia.

Hood has installed state-of-the-art technology, including an automated layer and pick system, full pallet labelers, and advanced chiller and air management systems.

Hood has developed an extensive safety plan with regular employee training.

Sitting on 133.4 acres in the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park, the Hood plant strives to use equipment and processes that are environmentally friendly, including efficient energy use and waste reduction. The company conducts regular energy audits and upgrades infrastructure as needed.

Hood is now among Batavia's larger employers. Community involvement initiatives include supporting the Crossroad House's flower sale, participating in Day of Caring, the Holland Land Office Museum Winter Wonderland of Trees, and supporting the Batavia Muckdogs, Community Action, the Salvation Army, and the Kwians's Club's Books for Babies.

More than 60 percent of the company's employees live in Genesee County.

Press Release:

Our Faith Formation programs at Ascension Roman Catholic Community and Resurrection RC Parish kicked off on Sunday, September 8 with Mass, a family lunch, meetings, and fun games!

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

The Batavia Society of Artists is hosting artist Mary Jo Whitman on Tuesday, September 10 at Go-Art/Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., Batavia At 7 p.m. 

Mary Jo plans to give an overview of the grant process for artists, including where to find grant opportunities, tips on writing project narratives, formulating budgets, and providing quality support materials. 

This info will be bennificial to many artist who never thought they could get grant money for projects! This event is open to non-member for a $5 fee. Light refreshments will be served. The 2.o.1. Tavern will be open for cash purchases.

Press Release:

Genesee County Republican Committee Chairman Scott D. German is happy to announce the committee will be holding its Grand Opening of the Genesee County Republican Headquarters located at 244 West Main Street in Batavia (formerly Time Buyers Auto) across from CVS at noon on Saturday, September 14.

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, Senator George Borrello, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Sheriff Candidate Joe Graff and County Treasurer Candidate Kevin Andrews are all expected to be in attendance.

Anyone wishing to pick up free signs for Trump, Tenney, Borrello, Hawley, Graff or Andrews are more than welcome to stop by and pick them up on Saturday.

Press release:

On Sept. 9 at approximately 11 a.m. the city of Batavia Emergency Response Team (ERT), comprised of members from the city of Batavia Police Department and Genesee County Sheriff's Office, assisted the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force with the execution of two search warrants at separate addresses on South Main Street in the City of Batavia. 

The search warrants were executed at apartments located at 11 South Main St. and 61 South Main St. Several people were taken into custody and are being processed by the Drug Task Force at this time.  

Further information on the identity of those arrested and charges will be released by the Drug Task Force at a later time. 

There were no reported injuries during either search warrant execution, and the immediate area was evacuated or advised to shelter in place during the operation as a precaution.  

"We wish to thank the community for their tips and information on both of these addresses as we work hard to hold those accountable that illegally distribute drugs in our City," said Chief Shawn Heubusch.

It was a historic night at Hartwood Park in Le Roy. The newly merged Le Roy and Cal-Mum football programs took the field as one team, the Rivals, to play against the Batavia Blue Devils.

It's been at least 15 years since Batavia played a regular season game in Le Roy.

In a game shorted by weather, the Blue Devils came out on top 32-0.

There were no stats released for the game.

Also on Friday, Alexander traveled to Bath-Haverling and returned home with a 13-12 win. 

Press Release:

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month! Richmond Memorial Library is celebrating in two different ways:

1. Replacement cards will be offered for FREE during the month of September. Have a missing or damaged card? Now is the time to replace it! The library is waiving the usual $1 replacement fee for the month.
2. Anyone signing up for a brand-new library card account will be entered for a chance to win a prize! The Friends of the Library are sponsoring a prize tote, which will include library swag, a gift certificate to the Friends of the Library Book Sale, and $25 gift card to Batavia’s Original.

Your library card unlocks many benefits, including access to materials in the library and online! The Richmond Memorial Library proudly offer access to Libby and Hoopla for eBooks, Audiobooks, Movies, TV Shows and more. Access genealogy resources, Consumer Reports, legal resources and more through RML’s online databases. Need a dinosaur shaped cake pan or a board game? The library has you covered there as well. 

Resident library cards may be issued free-of-charge to residents of Genesee, Orleans and Niagara counties, and to those who work, own property or attend school within the borders of the Batavia City School District.

Photo ID with name and current street address must be presented to apply for a card, or to replace a lost card. When primary residence within Genesee, Orleans, or Niagara counties is not established, additional proof of working, attending school, or owning property within the borders of the Batavia City School District is required.

Children may be issued resident cards and their replacements when they can sign their own name, and after having established identity and residency in the manner described above, or in the presence and under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian who has.

The library is located at 19 Ross Street in the City of Batavia and is open Monday – Thursday from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more about the library, library programs and more, visit batavialibrary.org or stop in!

Press Release:

The 11th annual GLOW Corporate Cup was run this August with nearly 800 participants registering for the annual 5K run and walk.  The race brought in just shy of $20,000 in support of the GLOW YMCA.  This money will support the YMCA Scholarship program, ensuring that no one is turned away from the Y due to their inability to pay.

In addition to the race, teams design their own T-Shirts and compete for the most creative design.  Each year the local Merrill Lynch office makes a $500 donation to the winning team’s charity of choice.  This year, Liberty Pumps won the contest for the first time and elected to direct the donation back to the YMCA, bringing the total funds raised from the race to over $20,000.

A 48-year-old man accused of firing a weapon at a white SUV that looked like a law enforcement vehicle on Aug. 29 was later released on his own recognizance, according to court documents obtained by The Batavian. 

Robert James Talbot, of Batavia, was arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Part Court, but his prior federal convictions were not sufficient for the judge to set bail or order him held.

He was arraigned in the early morning of Aug. 29.

He was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, and criminal mischief in the third degree.

Those are not qualifying offenses for bail or pre-trial confinement.

The judge noted he had a criminal history but "not two felonies."

The judge can set bail if a defendant has been sent to prison on two separate occasions.

Court documents contain a statement from the owner of the vehicle, who said he was driving a "white 2016 police package Ford Explorer."

He parked at a mobile home lot at 5066 Clinton Street Road, where he was visiting a friend. 

"Moments after I entered the residence, I heard what sounded like two gunshots," the victim wrote. "I didn't think much of it at that time. Then again, between 12:00 -- 12:30 p.m., I heard two more gunshots. Again, I wasn't concerned with the sounds. It was around that time that my friends were going to leave their residence for an appointment, so I, too, was going to leave as I returned to my vehicle. I grabbed my door handle and saw debris on my driver's seat. I then saw more debris on my dashboard. It was then I saw that my windshield looked like it had been shot."

There were four bullet holes in the windshield.

The victim called 9-1-1, and a state trooper was dispatched. State police investigated and concluded the shots came from a specific location. 

The investigation led to the arrest of Talbot.

Talbot was allegedly found in possession of a Savage Mark II .22 LR Rifle and an H+R 1871 Pardner Pump 20-gauge shotgun.

In 2014, while in Texas, Talbot allegedly set up a Facebook page where he tried to recruit followers for an insurgency.  He revealed plans to rob banks to fund the insurgency.  

He was convicted of attempted interference with commerce by robbery and solicitation to commit a crime of violence and was sentenced to Federal Prison in November 2015.

It's unclear on when he was released and when he returned to Batavia.

After learning of his release, Assembly Steve Hawley issued a statement pointing to the case as an example of lax bail reform laws for Talbot's release.

“Once again, we see the disastrous results of bail reform; this man was and is a clear and present danger to society, but unfortunately, due to big city liberals’ soft-on-crime attitude, he was able to walk free and can roam the streets again," Hawley said. "The fact that someone who once went to federal prison for terroristic activities and then fired a gun at cars is not able to be held in jail is asinine. If this isn’t someone who should not be allowed on our streets, then I don’t know who is. One thing is abundantly clear: bail reform must be repealed, and we must allow our judges to determine bail for dangerous individuals; if we don’t, incidents like this one will keep on occurring.”

His next scheduled court appearance is Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. in Batavia Town Court.

 Previously:

• Former Batavia resident in Texas accused of plotting an insurgency
• State Police investigating shots fired in mobile home park on Clinton Street Road
• Man accused of firing shots in Batavia mobile home park previously accused of terror plot in Texas

My earliest memories began at East School on Main Street, Batavia. It was kindergarten, and I only remember it had a wooden playhouse in the classroom.

We had rest time on the floor every day, and it was a half-day session. 

I began school at the new John Kennedy School on Vine Street in 1955 in first grade. I attended John Kennedy School until third grade. I still remember the song “This Is Our School, John Kennedy, the Colors Gold and Blue.”   John Kennedy’s new school was in our back yard, so we could walk through the field and get to school.  My youngest brother, John, remembered that route because he decided to walk home on his first day in kindergarten. I can’t imagine his teacher looking for him!

The following school I attended was St. Joseph’s Catholic School. I entered there in fourth grade. That was the year I met my best friend, Cathy. 

We all have so many memories of the nuns in the Catholic school. My memories are no different. The one thing I remember coming from a family of six was that it was hard to follow my brother Sam; we were nothing alike, and the nuns couldn’t wait to emphasize that. I remember my teacher telling me to stop talking; evidently, I didn’t, so she made me stand in the back of the room in a small corner. I was on the side of the school that faced a group of trees. I was fine. I watched a bird build a nest on one of the branches; it was much more interesting than what Sister Kathleen was teaching. When the principal entered the room, we all had to stand up and say good morning, Sister Mary Evangelist!

I also know that the year "Ben Casey" and "Dr. Kildare" were popular television shows.  Sister Mary Pius was not happy with me again.  I had a picture of Ben Casey taped to the inside of my desk. When I opened my desk, his picture was in my face. Unfortunately, Sister saw me looking at the picture and slammed my desktop down. My best friend liked  Dr. Kildare but was smart enough not to flaunt his picture. I can honestly say that there were times you feared the wrath of your teacher.

Does anyone remember what we were told about wearing patent leather shoes? 

One year, Sister Estelle asked me to come to the front of the room. She told the class to look at my uniform. I was wearing some of my lunch! It was a little embarrassing. I told my husband about this, and he burst out laughing because whenever we went out to eat, and I had spaghetti sauce, I would always come home wearing it.

Another thing I remember is that my youngest sister had a problem staying in her seat, so to help her remember, the nun tied her to her chair. I remember my father saying if you have a problem with my child, you have my permission to discipline them. He also stated that when we got home, he would discipline us. This time was different; he contacted her teacher and said not to tie his child to a chair. What if there was a fire? She was never tied to her chair again, but I can’t guarantee she did not continue to get out of her seat. 

You can’t forget the mission babies. The Sisters would ask us if we had any lunch money change we could donate to the missions. We could pick a name when we had earned enough money to help a mission baby. I was so excited the day they named the mission baby Anne. 

The next chapter of my education was at Notre Dame High School. Again, I was compared to my brother, an excellent student. I do know my conduct mark was always lower than his 99%. The day I wanted to see if I could fit into a locker in our locker room was funny. I could, but Sister Edward Ann, Dean of Students, stood there when the locker door opened. She did not think that was funny. 

You can’t forget the beautiful navy blue uniform, long-sleeved white blouse, and the bolero! They were so attractive, especially to someone who weighed barely 100 pounds. 

I went on to college and graduated in 1972 with a BS in Education. I was a teacher, and my first job was at Wolcott Street School in Le Roy. I loved my time there as a third grade teacher. I knew what kind of teacher I wanted to be. The most important thing I knew I would do was to create an atmosphere where children felt safe and respected, and I would provide them with an atmosphere for learning and always knowing they were loved. 

This is my disclaimer for my early years: I’m 74, so my memories might be fuzzy. 

Press Release:

“Come and celebrate the grand opening of The Recovery Station. Be among the first to experience our new kitchen and discover your favorite spot in town.”

With that clear invitation, Luke Granger, director of Recovery Services at UConnectCare (formerly Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse), is welcoming everyone to check out the agency’s drug- and alcohol-free social gathering place at 5256 Clinton St. Rd., Batavia.

The grand opening is scheduled from 5 - 9 p.m. on Sept. 20 and will feature two bands – Groove and Black Cherry Voodoo – along with free food and refreshments. Reservations are requested by calling 585-815-5248 but not required.

Granger said The Recovery Station has come a long way since UConnectCare purchased the former Bohn’s Restaurant and opened it up to people in recovery in the spring of 2020.

“When the program was launched it was exactly when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, so we’ve never experienced any kind of grand opening,” he said. “And when I came on board, we were on a shoestring budget and did the best we could with what we had to work with.”

Since then, Granger said the agency has received grants and money from the opioid settlement “that has allowed us to do a number of different things, including renovating the kitchen and making some other capital purchases.”

He said he and his staff are pleased to be able to offer a variety of activities and to provide light food and refreshments to those who utilize the completely remodeled facility.

“This grand opening is about opening our arms to the community and allowing them to come in and join us – not only supporting recovery but celebrating those people in recovery,” he said.

Melissa Vinyard, coordinator of The Recovery Station, echoed Granger’s comments while adding that she realizes that people in recovery have a hard time locating social environments that don’t include alcohol.

“As a person in recovery, I think one of the greatest barriers for people in recovery are finding places to go to learn how to have fun again, without the drinking and without the drugs,” she said. “At The Recovery Station, they can find that outlet and take part in all that we have to offer – making new friends, playing pool, watching TV or using our fitness equipment.”

Vinyard also mentioned that The Recovery Station has purchased the NFL’s YouTube Sunday package and will be streaming games on the several big screen televisions that have been purchased recently.

“We’re going to be open on Sundays, starting with the first Buffalo Bills game on Sept. 8, and every Sunday to the Super Bowl,” she said. “We’re going to serve some refreshments and pizza and pop and other snacks and just have a good time rooting for the Bills and your favorite team.”

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

Folk-pop duo Parris and Holly is thrilled to announce a four-night residency at Go Art!, located at 201 East Main Street in Batavia. The duo will host four Thursday night performances, starting on September 19 and continuing on September 26, October 17, and October 24. The performances will be free to the public.

Each evening will kick off with an hour-long set by a local artist from 7 - 8 p.m., followed by Parris and Holly from 8 - 9 p.m.

Featured Opening Acts: 

September 19: Howard B. Owens, publisher of The Batavian LLC

September 26: Alex Feig, area musician, songwriter, and former WBTA news producer

October 17: Billy Lambert, Le Roy resident and singer-songwriter, known for his work in the bands Woody Dodge, Lambertbilly, and the acoustic duo Damn the Flood

October 24: Chris Humel, artist and frontman of the punk band Cowboy Vampires 

Join us for these special evenings of music and community. No tickets are required, and all ages are welcome.

Press Release:

Holland Land Office Museum (HLOM), in honor of Constitution Week (September 17 to 23), has scheduled the museum’s monthly trivia game topic on the U.S. Constitution.  

The HLOM, with support from the Anna Ingalsbe Lovell Chapter NSDAR, is providing the 1st and 2nd place prizes. The chapter has again contributed information for the Robert Morris display which documents Genesee County's connection to the nation’s founding.

Constitution week began in 1956 at the request of the NSDAR to Congress and was enacted by President Eisenhower. September 17 is always the opening day of Constitution week’s celebrations.

For more information on joining the NSDAR or Constitution Week please go to www.dar.org.

Trivia is set for September 12 at 7 p.m., light refreshments will be served. There is a $5 admission fee that covers the Trivia game.

Press Release:

GLOW With Your Hands organizers are seeking 15 additional volunteers to support the coordination of 1,000 students from across the GLOW region for the 6th annual career exploration event being held on Tuesday, September 24 at the Genesee County Fairgrounds in Batavia.

“The success of GLOW With Your Hands is made possible through the generosity of volunteers in a variety of event-day roles, including tour guides for individual schools, and support at the entrance at the fairgrounds, parking and lunch areas,” said GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair Karyn Winters said. “We are fortunate to have so many volunteers already registered but we need more to cover all our bases.”

The annual GLOW With Your Hands event provides students with hands-on career exploration in high-growth and high-demand careers. Activities such as welding, bricklaying and heavy equipment operation, and interactions with employers provide students with the insight to explore career opportunities with companies across the region.

“We’re tremendously excited to once again welcome so many companies and students to GLOW With Your Hands. The commitment and dedication of so many volunteers is what makes this amazing event possible,” said Angela Grouse, GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair.

Registration for volunteers is available by emailing Karyn Winters at kwinters@geneseeny.com or filling out the volunteer form at www.glowwithyourhands.com/manufacturingvolunteers.