Holly Baxter was honored Tuesday during the Mental Health Association's annual luncheon at Terry Hills with the Constance E. Miller Award of Excellence for her work with the crisis hotline at the YWCA.
Members of the New York State Police, Troop A, honored their colleagues who died in the line of duty, serving their communities, in an annual memorial service at the Batavia Barracks.
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There will be no Elvis impersonator, no hot rods, no dunk booths, no kettle corn on Main Street in Batavia this August.
Summer in the City is cancelled for 2016, and quite likely, in any future summers, according to Laurie Oltramari, executive director of the Batavia Business Improvement District.
Oltramari is in her first year as BID director and since taking the position learned that city is clamping down on the BID's operational budget, restricting spending to just $55,000 a year.
In recent years, the BID has spent $120,000 on operations, but City Manager Jason Molino said the BID has been allocating more of its special tax levy to operations than state law allows.
The law allows only 20 percent of the city's levy on properties in the BID to go to an improvement district's operations, plus an additional levy to service any debt.
The BID took on nearly a million in bonds in 1999 to fund a series of upgrades to downtown, such as new street lamps, paving stones and landscape improvements. The BID's final $15,000 payment will be made this year.
While Molino's insistence this year that the BID follow the budgeting requirements of the General Municipal Law, a memo Molino prepared for next week's City Council meeting makes it clear that prior to Oltramari taking the director's job, he tried to bring the requirement to the attention of the BID.
"When reviewing prior records, budgets and the district plan, the BBID (Batavia Business Improvement District) has struggled to comply with the GML regarding oversight of assessment funds and consistency with the district plan," Molino tells council members in the four-page memo. "In addition, as recent as 2013 and 2015 the city has advised the BBID of both budget management concerns as well as compliance with the GML faults."
Dropping Summer in the City is the biggest change in the BID's budget, Oltramari said, but there will be other cuts, including cutting down the hours worked by her part-time assistant.
There are other annual programs that the BID sponsors that will continue, Oltramari said, because they both make money and do a better job of promoting downtown businesses, including the Fall Wine Walk, Beertavia (in June) and Christmas in the City. All are self-funding, if not profitable, and help boost local business, but downtown merchants have long complained that Summer in the City took away parking while doing little to generate foot traffic into their stores. Oltramari said it generated very little revenue for the BID.
Even without Summer in the City, the BID can continue to work hard to promote downtown, Oltramari said, and seek out opportunities for "small victories" that in the long run can pay off big for the local business community.
Press release:
The City of Batavia Youth Bureau sponsored a citywide 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament on Friday, May 13. Ten teams competed in the double elimination tournament. Teams represented were Youth, Batavia Police, Batavia City Hall and Genesee County Dept. of Social Services.
The Batavia Youth Bureau is planning another tournament later this summer to continue this community event that creates interaction between youth and public servants.
Below are photos (submitted, IDs from left) of the first-, second- and third-place teams and the Youth Team playing the Batavia Police/City Hall Team.
First Place: Malachi Chenault, Trenton MaGraw, Dakota Irvin and Jordan Thomas.
Second Place: Luqman Baity, Ally Luckenbach and Alex Nesbeth.
Third Place: Anthony Garcia, Juan Claudio, Nashiem Harris (not pictured -- Jeff Redband).
(Names not provided.)
(Submitted photo of George Mirrione when he arrived home after serving in the Gulf War.)
Press release:
Twenty-five years ago, more than 600,000 service members took part in Operation Desert Storm, at the time the largest deployment of U.S. Armed Forces since Vietnam. George Mirrione, then an Army Private First Class was attached to the 5th Engineer Battalion(Combat) of the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) was one of those who left friends and family behind to serve our nation and secure a victory for freedom.
On May 30, Mirrione, who grew up in Akron and now lives in Batavia, will march among more than 500 Gulf War veterans in the American Veterans Center’s National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C.
To mark the 25th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm and honor those who served and sacrificed, the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association and America Veterans Center have invited more than 500 Gulf War veterans to reunite at the National Memorial Day Parade. The veterans are participating thanks to the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association and its mission to honor the legacy of the Gulf War though building a monument in the nation’s capital to the 383 service members who fell during the war and honoring those who served in this pivotal moment in world history.
“While foremost our mission at the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association is to build a monument to our fallen brothers and sisters, we are also committed to honoring the many hundreds of thousands of men and women who left homes, jobs, and families to stand up for America’s values,” said Scott Stump, founder, president and CEO of the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association.
“We are so glad that veterans like George Mirrione are marching with us to teach Americans about the service and sacrifice made by all veterans of Operation Desert Storm.”
Mirrione and other veterans will follow part of the same route service members returning from the Middle East marched 25 years ago. Like their comrades of the past, Mirrione will be met with the cheers of hundreds of thousands of patriotic Americans. By honoring Gulf War veterans alongside veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and our most recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the parade will cement Operation Desert Storm as one of our nation’s key battles for freedom.
In 2014, Congress passed legislation and President Barack Obama signed a law approving construction of the National Desert Storm War Memorial in Washington, D.C. Since that day, the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association has been working to build the monument and aims to raise the millions of dollars needed to support that mission.
To learn more about the Desert Storm War Memorial Association and its participation in the Memorial Day Parade, contact Fred Wellman, Public Relations chair, NDSWM Board of Directors at 202-957-2688 or fred.wellman@ndswm.org. To learn more about the American Veterans Center’s National Memorial Day Parade, visit http://www.americanveteranscenter.org/avc-events/parade/
ABOUT THE NATIONAL DESERT STORM WAR MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION:
The National Desert Storm War Memorial Association is a 501(c)3 organization with the sole mission of constructing a Desert Storm War Memorial in Washington, D.C. The association is led by a board of directors comprised of Desert Storm Veterans from all branches of the military and from across the country. You can learn more about the effort and donate to this important cause at www.ndswm.org.
Submitted photo of "Hops."
"Hops" is on the lam. She's a "chubby," double-chinned eight-pound bunny who hails from the yard at the southeast corner of Maple Street and Ganson Avenue in the City of Batavia.
Hops was last seen by her family, the Rapones, on Sunday. The 3-year-old is white with gray around her eyes and ears.
"I'm starting to freak out a little," said Polly Rapone this morning, who says she's scoured the neighborhood in search of the pet, one of six bunnies, two cats, two chocolate labs, a fish and a turtle who live at 23 Maple St..
Guy and Polly Rapone, who five children together, four school-aged, have allowed Hops -- in good weather -- to lounge and ambulate at will about their large yard, which is only fenced on two sides, while her rabbit relatives are mostly caged. She's usually content to sit at the edge of the yard with her nose twitching through the chain-link fence.
But this latest escapade, one of several over the course of her little lifetime, has Polly particularly stressed out.
For one, she's been gone longer than on her other forays and, two, well, enough is enough.
"She's going back in the cage," said Polly, with prescient hopefulness about the fate of their beloved bunny rabbit.
If you have information which might lead to the capture of Hops, please contact the Rapone family at 219-4657. No questions asked!
The County Legislature's Public Service Committee held its monthly meeting at the new terminal at the County Airport. Before the meeting, County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens gave attendees a tour of the facility.
We'll have coverage of the meeting later today.
City fire has been dispatched to 208 South Swan St., Batavia, for a reported bonfire in the parking lot.
Click here for more information or to register for the Walk Against Cancer, Yoga or Pull & Trot!
Mercy Flight will be landing at Meadowbrook Golf Course, behind an address on Valle Drive, just outside the city limit, to answer a medical call. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding to establish a landing zone and Mercy medics will be assisting the patient. The ETA for Mercy Flight #9 is about 10 5 minutes.
UPDATE 9:07 a.m.: The landing zone is established. It's south of South Main Street and "wide open except a few trees to the west. A rise in the ground is marked by a cone on its side." "We have a visual," the helicopter pilot replies.
UPDATE 9:11 a.m.: Mercy Flight has landed.
UPDATE 9:25 a.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne.
The Mental Health Association hosted a mental health and wellness fair at Blue Pearl Yoga in the former Masonic Temple on East Main Street, Batavia, today. Besides a seminar on bellying dancing, the event included a drumming circle, yoga, Reiki share, paper flower making, adult coloring and essential oils.
The 4-H Swine Club once again served up delicious helpings of pulled pork, baked beans, coleslaw and salt potatoes for their annual fundraiser at the fairgrounds.
The Genesee County Agriculture Society hosted its annual spring Vendor Blender at the Fairgrounds today.
Ferrellgas hosted a $5 fill up today along with a chance auction on several items, including a BBQ grill, with proceeds benefiting the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.
Jane Grehlinger gives a talk on container gardening this afternoon at Cornell Cooperative Extension during the Genesee County Master Gardeners' Spring Gala.
The event included a plant sale and chance auction.
A tree fire is reported in the area of 621 E. Main St., Batavia.
City fire is dispatched.
Press release:
There will be road closure on Highland Park and Wood Street between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 17th and 18th, for cold milling operations.
Residents and businesses are not to park on the roadway during cold milling operations.
Residents and businesses of these streets will have limited access to their properties and should expect delays when milling operations are ongoing. If work is postponed by weather work will be rescheduled for the next calendar day.
Press release:
Preparations for the Washington Avenue Sewer Project are under way and the work will start Monday, May 16th.
It is expected that Washington Avenue will be limited to "local traffic only" in the specific section between Bank Street and Summit Street. During this time, thru traffic will not be allowed, only access for residents/deliveries/emergency services.
It is expected that sidewalks will always be open and passable, but caution should be observed as it is a construction zone.
Press release:
An open house is being held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 4th, to showcase the City of Batavia Community Garden.
Make your way to 12 MacArther Drive, just behind the Youth Center and see how the old wading pool has been transformed. The garden is a collaborative effort between Leadership Genesee's Class of 2011, the City Youth Bureau and Cooperative Extension's Master Gardeners.
It is a perfect option if you lack space, or just want a plot ready for planting that comes with expert support. There are plenty of beds still available at $15 for a 4 by 4 or $25 for a 4 by 8 foot plot for the 2016 growing season.
Join us on June 4 or contact the Youth Bureau at 345-6420 for more information, or visit our Facebook page for more information.
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