The Batavia City School District is proud to announce it is one of at least 165 school districts and the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in New York State to receive the Utica National Insurance Group's "School Safety Excellence Award" for 2023 at the Titanium with Honors level.
The honor is presented annually and recognizes school districts' safety efforts as they work to help keep students, staff, and visitors safe. Batavia City School District officials received a certificate to commemorate the district's safety efforts and a $500 award for use in furthering those efforts from Utica National representatives.
Utica National's School Safety Excellence Award Program has three levels—titanium, platinum, and gold—in which schools can earn a meritorious distinction by meeting specific criteria to enhance overall safety.
Through the program, schools with their own transportation, schools with contract transportation, and BOCES are evaluated. Categories covered include bullying prevention programs, playground safety, and other areas, and are measured using specific, quantifiable surveys.
“We’re proud and encouraged to receive this award from Utica National,” said Batavia City School District Superintendent Jason Smith. “The health, safety, and security of our students, faculty, staff, and community is our top priority. We’re consistently evaluating our programs, and this award will certainly go towards our continued efforts.”
"Safety and health concerns continue to be a priority in our school districts," explained Brian Saville, Senior Vice President of Utica National's Educational Institutions Unit. "Districts that go 'above and beyond' to provide a safe, healthy, and focused culture for learning are to be applauded, and we're pleased to count Batavia City School District among them."
For more than 45 years, Utica National Insurance Group has kept kids and school staff safe and currently insures more than 300 school districts in upstate New York alone.
Three women from Rochester were arrested following a felony traffic stop June 13 on West Main Street Road, Batavia, and were then accused of possessing more than $6,000 in stolen property.
A felony traffic stop is conducted when police officers consider it a potentially high-risk situation. Officers keep their distance from the vehicle and order the occupants out of the vehicle with their hands in view.
The incident began at 12:26 p.m. when the Erie County Sheriff's Office contacted local law enforcement about a theft of property from an undisclosed location in Erie County. A suspect vehicle was apparently believed to be eastbound.
Jayona Henderson
Later, a patrol spotted the possible suspect vehicle on West Main Street Road, Town of Batavia.
A felony traffic stop was initiated in Batavia just east of Oak Street. All three occupants exited the vehicle without incident.
The suspects were identified as Klara A. Bates, 31, of Agnes Street, Rochester, Jayona D. Henderson, 20, of Hooker Street, Rochester, and Ashanay J. McBean, 27, of Terrace Street, Rochester.
The vehicle they were in was reported stolen on May 28 to the NFTA Transit Police.
Klara Bates
All three were charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, a Class D felony.
Bates, Henderson, and McBean were arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court. Bates and Henderson were released and turned over to the Erie County Sheriff's Office to face potential further criminal charges. McBean was held because a town court cannot set bail for a defendant with two prior felonies.
The Sheriff's Office was assisted by Batavia PD, State Police, the NFTA Transit Police, and the Ultra Organized Retail Crime Investigation unit.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) denounced the recent reports of a deal between Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration and the Seneca Nation to build a casino in downtown Rochester.
The construction of a new casino in the area would be damaging to the local economy and would jeopardize the more than 400 jobs at Batavia Downs. Local officials and New York lawmakers were also not included in any discussions between the governor and the Seneca Nation.
Hawley is frustrated that local businesses and communities are once again not being given priority by the state government
“The recent news of the deal between the state and the Seneca Nation is disappointing and yet another example of the livelihood of local businesses, like Batavia Downs, being trampled on by this governor’s administration,” Hawley said. “A move like this that doesn’t take into account the needs or desires of the community while purposely shunning local leaders from the conversation will undoubtedly do nothing more than hinder the local economy and create further consequences down the road.”
SUNY New Paltz announces its Dean's List for the spring 2023 semester, a recognition for students who excel academically and earn at least a 3.3 grade-point average in a semester with a full-time course load. The students are:
A Chevy HHR was northbound on Liberty Street around noon in Batavia Thursday when it apparently ran a red light, City Assistant Police Chief Chris Camp said. The vehicle was struck by a Ford sedan that was traveling southbound on Ellicott Street.
One occupant was in each vehicle, and both were evaluated at the scene, Camp said. The status of the patients is unknown.
UPDATE: The driver of the sedan, Edwin Perez of Holley, was cited for allegedly running a red light, according to new information released by Batavia PD. Contrary to earlier eye-witness statements, Camp said, the driver of the HHR did not run the red light.
Statement by police: "Upon review of the street camera at this intersection, it was determined that the silver SUV, that was traveling northbound on Liberty Street, in fact, had the green light. The silver four-door sedan, traveling south on Ellicott Street, traveled through the steady red light at Liberty Street and struck the silver SUV in the intersection."
Robert Kendall, a member of VFW Post 1602 in Batavia, ignites flags that were deemed no longer servicable during a Flag Day ceremony at the post on Wednesday. Photo by Howard Owens
After a brief ceremony to incinerate retired flags on Wednesday at the VFW Post 1602, Veness-Strollo, in Batavia, members celebrated the freedom the U.S. Flag represents and the price paid and sacrifice made by those who served in the military to protect that freedom.
Members of the post incinerated dozens of flags as part of the ceremony.
A crew from the City of Batavia Fire Department was on hand to assist in the Flag Day ceremony.
The flags are collected from area residents throughout the year.
A flag that is torn or faded should be disposed of in a dignified manner, according to the U.S. Flag code, and incineration is the generally preferred method to dispose of flags that are "no longer a fitting emblem for display." Flags that are no longer serviceable should not be on public display.
The ceremony was carried out by Vice Commander William Frieday, Robert Kendall, treasurer, and member Ronald Gibson.
Each read from a script for the ceremony that reads in part:
A Flag may be a flimsy bit of printed gauze or a beautiful banner of the finest silk. Its intrinsic value may be trifling or great, but its real value is beyond price, for it is a precious symbol of all that we and our comrades have worked for and lived for and died for a free Nation of free men, true to the faith of the past, devoted to the ideals and practice of Justice, Freedom and Democracy.”
“Let these faded Flags of our Country be retired and destroyed with respectful and honorable rites, and their places be taken by bright new Flags of the same size and kind, and let no grave of our soldier or sailor dead be unhonored and unmarked. Sergeant-at-Arms, assemble the Color Guard, escort the detail bearing the Flags and destroy these Flags by burning.
Photos by Howard Owens.
Ronald Gibson, William Frieday, and Robert Kendall. Photo by Howard Owens.
Person of interest in stolen credit card case. Submitted photo.
Press release:
The Batavia Police Department is investigating the use of stolen credit cards and is seeking the public's assistance with identifying the two pictured individuals. If anyone knows who they are, please contact Det. Matt Wojtaszczyk at 585-345-6357, or you can leave a tip on the confidential tip line.
Person of interest in stolen credit card case. Submitted photo.
Catholic Charities of Buffalo has promoted Katelyn DiSalvo to tri-county district director.
In her new role, she is responsible for the overall administration and functioning of Catholic Charities’ three tri-county offices located at 106 South Main St., Albion, 25 Liberty St., Batavia, and 6470 US-20A, Perry, which include the emergency financial assistance program, friendly phones, and home visitation programming.
“Over the last five years, Katelyn has often been the first point of contact for individuals and families looking to Catholic Charities for hope and support during some of their darkest hours,” said Deacon Steve Schumer, president and CEO, Catholic Charities. “A long-time resident of Genesee County, Katelyn understands the needs and community resources to best serve our clients and lead our tri-county team of staff and volunteers.”
With Catholic Charities since 2018, DiSalvo most recently served as an emergency financial assistance specialist, providing support to clients in emergency situations. She also assisted the district director with office responsibilities and local community outreach projects. DiSalvo is a Batavia resident.
What’s that in Jackson Square? Open containers for alcohol, now that City Council has approved them, with a few special contingencies in place.
After much discussion a few weeks ago about allowing open containers within the confines of Jackson Square — surrounded by buildings and alleyways within Main, Jackson, School and Center streets — council agreed to try out the concept during spring, summer and fall events. But not without some protection, as requested by City Manager Rachael Tabelski.
Those extra precautionary measures include:
Bars and restaurants bordering and participating in Square events shall provide the city with general liability coverage in an amount of at least $1 million, naming the city as additional insured, and provide liquor liability coverage for off-premises naming the city as additional insured with a minimum of $1 million in coverage.
Prior to permitting any open containers in Jackson Square, the city shall be provided with the necessary insurance certificate and policies from the participating bars and restaurants and will approve coverages as a condition of participation.
A yearly review, or as necessary, of the policy.
During council’s last meeting two weeks ago, business owner Matt Gray spoke about the positives to come from allowing people to mill about in the Square with alcoholic beverages, including how the state liquor authority only allows four licenses per business, and this would free up his and other restaurants to host more outdoor events.
The current policy prevented folks from being able to carry their beverages with them to enjoy the outdoor concerts in the Square, and an open container policy may help establishments to get cross traffic, he said, such as Center Street Smokehouse, Eli Fish Brewing Company and O’Lacy’s, which surround the Square.
Likewise, Mary Jo Whitman, who has been involved with the Ramble Music and Arts Festival, said she thought that loosening the open container policy would bring more people into Jackson Square and provide more opportunities for people to enjoy a drink while participating in the outdoor events.
And offering a different perspective on the same subject, James Simonds said he favored the policy because it might encourage recycling of container materials by keeping them in one area.
Council approved the application for open containers, per a request from the Business Improvement District and local groups, including Genesee County Chamber, GO ART!, and city business and restaurant owners. It is to take effect now for any business that provides the required liability insurance per stated above.
Jackson Square is about to get busy at 7 p.m. with a line-up of:
Muckdogs owner Robbie Nichols helps clean Dwyer Stadium on May 30 during a scrimmage game before the start of the 2023 season. General Manager Marc Witt on the left. Pis hoto by Howard Owens
It took a few minutes for Batavia Muckdogs owner Robbie Nichols to answer the phone Tuesday, which is understandable.
Not only does he plan for special events, network and take care of finances for the business, but also the minor details of minor league baseball.
“I was just moving garbage cans around the ballpark,” he said. "Whatever needs to be done."
Nichols had recently made a request that $4,000 originally granted to GO ART! for Picnic in the Park be instead given to Batavia Muckdogs for a Fourth of July fireworks display after the July 3 ball game. City Council approved the request during its business meeting Monday, and The Batavian called Nichols for comment.
“We're glad that it was approved, and we're just gonna give it back to the city and the show. So we're excited about that. We do have fireworks on that night, it's going to be more grandiose, like a big city fireworks show sponsored by the city,” he said. “And so obviously, this will be a much larger show. And thank you to the city. And like we said, we'll get tickets out to those people that could use them.”
Fireworks at Dwyer Stadium in 2018. Photo by Howard Owens.
In his letter requesting the additional funds, Nichols pledged to donate 100 tickets for families in need. On Tuesday, he said it would likely be more than 100 tickets, as he wanted to make it possible for any families that couldn’t otherwise afford to attend to be able to also enjoy the Fourth of July festivities.
“We enjoy being part of the community, and we enjoy being involved in as many events as possible in Batavia,” he said in his letter to council.
Julia Rogers, coordinator of the Batavia City Community Schools program, will be referring families for the tickets, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said.
Nichols and staff were glad that the money was awarded to them, he said, and they have no plans to keep it, treating it in the same vein as they do Dwyer Stadium: “This is a city facility. It’s not our facility. We’re just the holders of the keys,” he said.
“You know, we're really excited. We put a lot of hard work into Batavia. (General Manager) Marc Witt does a great job with all the groups and people that he brings here. This Friday is Batavia Blue Devil night, and it's gonna be a large crowd, and Monday's game got rained out, and we already had a large crowd coming Monday night, so Friday should be another sold-out game, and we're really happy,” he said. “We had three sell-outs in our first four (games). So we're pretty happy, and we know we're going to sell out this next one. So the crowds keep coming out. We're just happy. They like our product and like what we do here.
“And we want people to enjoy it. You know, every weekend, people don't know we have baseball games, from morning to night. GLOW uses our field every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,” he said. “So if the Dogs aren't playing, we have youth baseball being played from eight in the morning ’til eight at night almost every Friday, Saturday, Sunday.”
That was enough talk. He had other tasks to do.
“We get a lot of trash,” he said.
Fireworks at Dwyer Stadium in 2018. Photo by Howard Owens.
Johnny Burton Koonce, Jr., 32, of Conlon Road, Le Roy, is charged with unlawful imprisonment 1st and harassment 2nd. Koonce is accused of refusing to let a person out of a moving vehicle and of shoving the person's head into the door of the vehicle during an incident reported at 11:23 p.m. on June 11 on Route 20 in Pavilion. Koonce was held pending arraignment.
Justin T. Calmes, 45, of Watson Street, Batavia, is charged with open burning. Calmes is accused of violating the Batavia Municipal Code on May 26 by conducting an open burn at a residence on Watson Street. Calmes, according to police, had been previously advised of city code regarding open burns. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Ricky L. Miller, 41, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and harassment. Miller was charged after allegedly stealing $400 from Tops Market on West Main Street on May 24. He allegedly shoved the store manager when confronted in an attempt to flee. Miller was issued an appearance ticket.
Brinson M. Blocker, 29, of Barry Street, Brockport, is charged with DWI and running a red light. Blocker was stopped at 2:29 a.m. on May 21 at an undisclosed location in the City of Batavia. He was arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court. His release status is unknown.
Charles B. Lee, 47, of West Bergen Road, Bergen, is charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs. Lee was stopped by Officer Kegvin Defelice on Sept 29 at an undisclosed location in the city of Batavia. He was arrested on May 26 following the completion of bloodwork in a crime lab. He was issued traffic tickets and ordered to return to City Court on a later date.
Nathan W. Campbell, 42, no permanent address, is charged with trespass. Campbell is accused of returning to a business on East Main Street on May 31 a few hours after being banned from the location for reportedly causing a disturbance. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Matthew J. Wenzel, 36, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Wenzel is accused of stealing medication from a family member. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Josia G.J. Culver, 18, of Tracy Avenue, Batavia, is charged with attempted burglary 3rd and criminal mischief 3rd. Culver is accused of attempting to break into a business in City Centre on May 15. It was Culver's third arrest in May for allegedly attempting to break into the same business. Following the arrest, he was ordered held in the Genesee County Jail.
Adam B. Thomas, 34, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. Thomas is accused of damaging family property at his residence on May 28. He was arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court. His release status is unknown.
Richard A. Demmer, Jr., 30, no known address, is charged with attempted robbery 3rd. Demmer is accused of attempting to rob the 7-Eleven on May 29. He was released on his own recognizance.
Jaqulyn A. Dueppengiesser, 39, of Page Road, Perry, was arrested on two warrants for failing to appear. Dueppengiesser was reportedly located in a dumpster on May 25 by Officer Felicia Martinez after receiving a call of a suspicious condition at a local business. The first warrant stems from a criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th charge, a Class D felony, arrest on April 11. On that arrest, Dueppengiesser was arraigned in City Court and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice pending her next appearance. The second warrant stems from a petit larceny arrest on May 9. She was issued an appearance ticket. She is accused of failure to appear for both arrests. Dueppengiesser was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance.
Adam J. Montes, 39, no known address, was arrested on a bench warrant for failing to appear. Montes was taken into custody on May 31 by Officer Felicia Martinez. He was previously arrested on charges of grand larceny of a vehicle and conspiracy 5th. He was arrested on a failure to appear warrant on April 6 and released. He was arraigned in City Court on the May 31 arrest and ordered held without bail.
Rosemary R. Waters, 37, of East Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on two City Court bench warrants for failure to appear. Officer Josh Girvin arrested Waters on May 17. The first warrant stems from an incident on Aug. 17, 2021, where Waters was arrested on an unrelated warrant and allegedly found in possession of narcotics, a modified fully automatic 9mm pistol and a 40-round magazine. Waters was arrested prior to the completion of lab work, and subsequently, an arrest warrant was issued. She was arrested on that warrant on April 7. The second warrant stems from an incident reported on July 30. Waters was reportedly the passenger in a vehicle during a traffic stop on Mix Place in Batavia. Waters allegedly provided a false name and was released. Narcotics and a modified short-barrel shotgun were later located in the vehicle. An arrest warrant was issued.
Oraid W. Edwards, 39, of West Avenue, Rochester, was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear. Edwards was taken into custody on May 19 by Officer Kevin Defelice. Edwards was arrested on June 19 after allegedly being found sleeping on the couch of a residence where he was unknown. Edwards reportedly left prior to patrols arriving on scene. He was arrested on a trespassing charge on June 23 and issued an appearance ticket. A warrant was issued on Aug. 23. He was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance.
Stephen D. Freeman, 52, of Mcmahon Road, Hinsdale, was arrested on an arrest warrant for petit larceny. Freeman was located by Troopers in Cattaraugus County and turned over to Batavia PD on May 28. Freeman is accused of stealing from an employer in City Centre on or around Sept. 19. He was arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court and released on his own recognizance.
Adam D. Altobelli, 42, of Mount Hope Boulevard, Rochester, was arrested on a bench warrant for failing to appear. Officer Richard Messmer arrested Altobelli on May 24. The warrant stems from an incident reported on East Main Street, Batavia, on Feb. 22, 2020. He was accused of stealing items and possessing a controlled substance. He was issued an appearance ticket. After allegedly failing to appear, he was arrested on a warrant on Dec. 4, 2020, and arraigned in City Court. He was released under supervision. He allegedly failed to appear for his next court appearance and was arrested on a warrant on May 6, 2021. He was again arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on Aug. 30, 2021. On this arrested, he was arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court. His release status is unknown.
Carlos E. Flores, of Dewey Avenue, Greece, was arrested on a bench warrant. Officer Kevin DeFelice arrested Flores on May 25. The warrant stemmed from an incident on Aug. 11, 2019, at a location on Bank Street. Flores was accused of threatening another person. He was arrested on a harassment 2nd charge and issued an appearance ticket. He was arraigned in City Court on the latest arrest and released after entering a guilty plea.
Gregory Alan Palone, 60, of Tennesee, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and insufficient tail lamp. Palone was stopped at 1:27 a.m. on June 4 on Lewiston Road by Deputy Jeremiah Gechell. He was released on traffic tickets.
Kenneth Dwright Robinson, Jr., 49, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Robinson was stopped at 1:59 p.m. on June 4 by Deputy Jacob Kipler and allegedly found in possession of a glassine bag containing crack cocaine during a vehicle inventory. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.
Emily Nichols, 33, of Batavia, is charged with welfare fraud 3rd. Nichols was arrested following an investigation by the Department of Social Services. She is accused of failing to report the wages of her husband and receiving $7,885 in SNAP benefits for which she was not entitled. She was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and released on her own recognizance.
David Alan Leach, 29, of Morganville Road, Stafford, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Leach is accused of possessing cocaine during a traffic stop by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun at 8:40 p.m. on Oct. 25. Leach was arrested on June 11 and issued an appearance ticket.
Pastor Jason Norton and his wife Michelle became upset this past Friday afternoon when a rather loud and proud message for PRIDE week was displayed in the city parking lot in front of their church in downtown Batavia.
He and Michelle said that they are not a gay-affirming church, just as much as they wouldn’t have wanted a beer tent out front.
Not only did they not like the venue — a staging area for the annual LBGTQ parade and festival — to imply what type of church they were, but the event apparently blocked other needs for repairs and entry into the public lot, which conveyed a lack of communication they would have appreciated.
Once the pastor of EverPresent Church in City Centre voiced his intent to take the matter to City Hall, he faced backlash from a segment of the community, he said. He posted that since events, such as Drag Queen Story Hour, are happening at the public library, then he has decided to do likewise with his church message: For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
“My point is this, that on social media today, I don't need this. Because I said that we were coming here, we've already been barraged with the titles of bigotry and hatred, and homophobia, the list goes on and on. And on. I just wanted to go on the record tonight to let people know that not only are we a people-affirming church who loves all people, we love God and His stance first,” he said. "We are actually moving forward now, with having some dinners and some open discussions and some forums, that we can all meet in a peaceable manner to talk and discuss these things and why we believe this.”
His online post had reaped well over 100 comments, mostly debates between opposing LBGTQ beliefs. There was a similar ongoing debate recently on a series of photos posted by The Batavian from that PRIDE event.
Michelle Norton expanded on her complaint to add that further communication about the event and location of the staging area — with opportunity to negotiate — would have been ideal so that the church entrance at Batavia City Centre wouldn’t have been blocked.
Jason Norton focused on the principle of his ire, and gave as examples himself, as a former drug addict who was invited in and accepted by a church that allowed “us to come in and experience God in a way that proved his love, and proved there was a God,” he said. He also spoke of his own daughter and how she struggled with bisexuality. He did not shame her but prayed for her and taught her about God and Jesus, he said.
"But we did not compromise on God's Word. We did not water it down to try to change God's word to fit into her choices to make her feel more accepted or approved as a lifestyle choice that she had made. Why did we do that? Because God is sovereign. And his viewpoints and his stance on certain things are steadfast and immovable. And I do not have the authority or the power to change or excuse me to change God's position on what is right and what is wrong,” he said. “Three years ago, our daughter came to the understanding that her lifestyle doesn't fit in contrast to God, and ... she asked God to help her to heal her. She experienced Jesus, not religion. Two and a half years ago, Tasha died suddenly. And I don't know how I would have lived with myself if I had buckled and twisted the truth of God and changed the scriptures to accommodate the struggle that she was going through and showing her a falsehood.”
City Council listened to the couple until their time limit was up and offered no comments about the subject matter. Councilman Bob Bialkowski asked about the way events work in city parking lots. City Manager Rachael Tabelski said that the backdrop of the stage was at the facade of the church building, but it is in a public lot.
“So when we do event applications, we can take into consideration placement of things and try to help those who would like to do events in our city parking lot to maybe have better flow,” she said.
There is a report of wires arcing and sparking in a tree in the area of 8319 Bank Street Road, Batavia.
There is a report of power being out in the area.
Town of Batavia Fire dispatched.
UPDATE 7:34 p.m.: National Grid is reporting 2,471 customers without power in an area that stretches from East Main Street and Clinton Street in the City of Batavia up to Starowitz Road near Edgerton Road in Byron. A crew has been assigned. No ETA yet on power restoration.
UPDATE 7:54 p.m.: Town of Batavia assignment back in service. National Grid's repair ETA is 9:30 p.m.
UPDATE 9:18 p.m.: The power outage area has been greatly reduced, down to 241 customers, with power restoration still expected by 9:30 p.m.
If you’re breathing a little easier with the downgraded air quality levels of late, Derek Mallia, assistant professor of atmospheric science at the University of Utah, has projections that may give pause for celebration.
Although the worst may be over, as far as high levels of the particulate matter 2.5 are concerned, this region is not out of the woods just yet. So to speak.
Derek Mallia, assistant professor of atmospheric science at the University of Utah
“It could be a very intermittent, kind of smoky summer for areas in New York,” Mallia said during a phone interview Friday from Utah with The Batavian.
In addition to his professional interests in fire and the correlation between land and atmospheric impacts, Mallia is from the Schenectady area with family still there, so he has preserved a keen interest in how Canadian wildfires are affecting this region.
The smoky skies are the result of easterly winds — “any wind out of the west will probably give you some smoke through summer … that could be through July or August,” he said — versus when southerly winds blow, the temperatures will be hotter but with less smoke in the air, he said.
Wildfires in Alberta — which have really just begun to flare up, are not going to be as diluted as in past years, he said. This is earlier for Canada’s wildfires, which, combined with the wind flow, is why they are more noticeable and causing more air quality issues.
"The good news is that the winds will be more out of the West in the coming week or so. And so that's a good thing in that you won't be getting the smoke as much from Northern Quebec, but the wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia, so that's gonna be like Western Canada. Those fires, which kind of died down because they had a lot of rain a couple of weeks ago, that kind of slowed down those fires, but things are getting dragged in there. And so those fires are really starting to really start pumping, really starting to grow. So they're producing a lot more smoke than they were like a week ago,” he said. “And so long story short, what I would say is because there's so many areas in Canada that are burning, it could be a very intermittent, kind of smoky summer for areas in New York. Because there's so much fire activity in Canada right now, anyone that's out of the west or the Northwest, or what our north will probably give you some smoke. So that's my longer-term kind of projection of what summer could look like in upstate New York right now.”
Before proceeding, The Batavian asked Mallia to clarify something for all of those naysayers that have posted comments online that this is just a “Canadian campfire” or no different than the good ol’ days when smoking was allowed in bars. Are they right?
As far as the pollutants, there isn’t much difference between a wildfire and a campfire, he said. They both put out similar particulates into the air. However, there is one major disparity.
“If you really think about it deeply, it’s the same kind of smoke, right? And it's certainly not any different. The difference, though, is, if you're sitting by a campfire, you're probably sitting next to it for what, maybe an hour at most. And you may or may not be in the smoke, and you move yourself out of the smoke. So that's number one,” he said. “Number two, a lot of people are doing their jobs outside, and they're actually moving around in the smoke. When you're at a campfire, you're probably not exercising a ton, so you're not inhaling as deeply. So that's the other thing. I mean, if you're not sick, and you’re in campfire smoke for long enough, though, you would probably start developing asthma and stuff. But I mean, if we're sitting in a campfire smoke for, you know, hours upon hours, yeah, you're gonna feel your lungs, you're gonna start feeling tired. And I think a lot of people don't realize that probably because they're having fun and enjoying the campfire. But they're not thinking about, well, maybe I'm sitting in smoke for a long period of time, like my lungs will actually start hurting, but they're not thinking about that because they're having a good time.”
So take that wildfire smoke — that smoke plume over a good chunk of the Northeast — and you can't really get away from it, he said, other than to go into your house.
“But a lot of people don't have good filtration systems; a lot of that smoke actually gets into their homes, especially in the Northeast, where a lot of those homes are older,” he said.
That's a difference where it may behoove people to take some precautions when the air quality gets to a level of concern. Yes, N95 masks can help filter out that small particulate matter, and air conditioning and air purifiers with air filters can also help to clean out the air in one’s home, he said.
Although an article in The NY Times had also suggested using fans to circulate the indoor air, he didn’t agree with that remedy, since it just “spreads the same air around.” You may also want to change air filters more regularly, he said.
Cautioning that he isn’t a medical doctor and therefore wasn’t dispensing actual medical-related advice, Mallia was certain that on that Wednesday a week ago when this region suffered from air quality readings of more than 150, which hit the warning level, “no one should have been outside.”
People that are generally in good condition and not suffering from cardiovascular or respiratory conditions should be fine with short-term exposure to wildfire air exposure. That naturally led The Batavian to ask, with climate change and wildfires not likely to go away and quite possibly increase, what about long-term exposure?
Mallia is hoping to answer that in the near future. He and fellow researchers in Utah are investigating whether wildfires in the future will impact the air quality in the Northeast United States. They have applied to NASA for grant funding to study this very issue.
“That's actually a great science question, we have something that we're trying to actually look at right now. Over the past 20 to 25 years, air quality has actually gotten better across the eastern U.S. during the summertime. And it's gotten worse in the Western U.S. The driver behind that has been more wildfires across the West. But we're starting to look at this now in that okay, well, fires continue to get worse. Will that trend of air quality getting better across the eastern U.S. continue? And we're hypothesizing that no, due to climate change, with bigger fires, that areas across the East we might see more exposure to wildfire smoke, the fires are getting bigger, they're emitting more smoke, they're also doing something, what we refer to as pyro cumulus nimbus class.
"So if a fire gets hot enough, or burns enough nap or smoke matter, it can actually create thunderstorms over the fire. And so why this is relevant is that this can actually help inject the smoke further up into the atmosphere. And if it gets injected further up in the atmosphere, it increases the likelihood that smoke gets injected into the jet stream. And that will increase the geographical coverage of the smoke and, therefore, a big fire that's burning," he said. "And let's say California, or the state of Washington, that increases the likelihood that that smoke might make it all the way to somewhere like, let's say, upstate New York, for example. And so, we do believe that it is possible that the Eastern U.S. could see worse air quality during the summertime due to wildfires. So that is definitely a scientific question that I'm interested in answering.”
When growing up in New York, he had the “weather bug,” he said, with a dream to become a meteorologist, and when pursuing his bachelor’s in atmospheric sciences at the University of Albany, he was studying snowstorms, since wildfires were not “a big thing” at the time. He went on to obtain his Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah in 2018.
“But then I ended up getting an opportunity to do my Ph.D. out west, and it wasn't wildfire smoke, which is a direction that I'd never really kind of foresaw that I would do. And back in 2010, wildfire smoke was, you know, it was a thing, but it wasn't that big of a thing. And it's kind of blown up into this really massive thing that people are really interested in,” he said. “This is something I’m really passionate about. Personally, I’ve always been fascinated by meteorology, wildfires and air quality. And so I’m just trying to improve the way that we kind of forecast these things, and projecting these impacts has been kind of a personal interest. It just happens to also be my job.”
Genesee Community College is pleased to announce that Heather Jones, professor of Fine Arts has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to Mexico for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
While collaborating with Professor Jose Luis Gonzalez-Cabrero and the Industrial Design Department at the University of San Luis Potosi, Professor Jones will be implementing an international cultural color study project with students from both Mexico and New York, which will culminate with a student art exhibit titled "Color Connection." She will be teaching a series of seminars on color theory in Mexico that will be available online for her students taking classes at GCC. Students in Mexico and GCC will photograph one color in their daily lives and facilitate conversation online by sharing these images on the dedicated Color Connection social media pages. The project aims to take a deeper look at the expressive meaning of color in design, utilize the subject of color as a social bridge to break down cultural stigmas and reinforce empathy and respect for cultural diversity. Photographs will be juried by the students, and 100+ photographs will be exhibited simultaneously at UASLP and in GCC's Roz Steiner Gallery in March 2024. The exhibit will then be available to travel to other SUNY campus galleries.
Jones is among over 800 U.S. citizens who will teach or conduct research abroad for the 2023-2024 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.
As Fulbright Scholar alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Notable Fulbright alumni include 62 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Fellows and 41 who have served as a head of state or government. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries - chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential - with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world.
"Congratulations to Professor Heather Jones on receiving the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award. Her innovative project, 'Color Connection,' will foster cultural understanding and empathy through the expressive power of color. We are proud to have such accomplished faculty members like Professor Jones who exemplify the spirit of international collaboration and contribute to finding solutions for our global challenges," said Dr. Craig Lamb, provost/vice president for Academic Affairs at Genesee Community College.
More than 800 U.S. scholars - faculty members, artists and professionals from all backgrounds - teach or conduct research overseas through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. In addition, over 2,000 U.S. students, artists, and early career professionals from all backgrounds in more than 100 different fields of study receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards annually to study, teach English, and conduct research overseas.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program. In the United States, the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.
UPDATE; The missing teen has been located and is safe.
Press release:
The Batavia Police Department is seeking public assistance in locating a 16-year-old girl.
(name redacted) was last seen on June 8 at approximately 7:30 a.m. in Batavia.
She was last seen wearing a black Nike Hoodie, a red hoodie, and black sweatpants.
xxxx is about 5'05" and 115 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350 or the NYS Missing Persons Clearinghouse at 1-800-346-3543.
Northampton Driving Society’s 37th annual carriage driving competition returns to Silver Shoe Farm in Batavia on Sunday, June 25. This promises to be a special occasion with Kacy Tipton-Fashik, the general manager of The Grand Oaks equine resort in Weirsdale, Florida, judging the event. David Remley, whose late parents founded the internationally-known Walnut Hill Driving Competition, will be the ringmaster.
Morning classes will feature horses, ponies, very small equines, and multiples of the same in the ring for working and reinsmanship classes. These are judged on “turn out” – the pleasing appearance and appropriateness of horse, harness, vehicle, and attire – the horse’s obedience and way of going and the driver’s (the “whip”) reinsmanship skills. Afternoon classes will entail driving an obstacle course of cones and scoring for speed and agility.
Mr. Remley will commence the show with a coach horn demonstration at 9 a.m. Food and shopping opportunities will be provided by Burning Barrel BBQ, Buttercrumbs Bakery, The Brick House Boutique, Rusty Bitz, Green Compass CBD, and Creative Upcycling. Leonard Oakes Estate Vineyard will be hosting a wine tasting between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Silver Shoe Farm is a lovely facility at 3336 Pratt Road in Batavia, operated by the well-known Cable family of blacksmiths and Nicole Cable, herself a carriage show competitor, judge, and trainer.
Free admission! Bring your lawn chairs. Fancy hats will be admired but not required!
A piece of furniture, apparently from a discarded cigarette, caught on fire while sitting on a porch at 416 Ellicott Ave., Batavia, at about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.
City Fire responded and quickly extinguished the fire.
Kay and Bill McDonald in Jackson Square recently preparing for the Homegrown Concerts hosted by the Old Hippies on June 23 and June 30. Photo by Howard Owens.
Bill and Kay McDonald have spent their living the dream, playing and singing for smiling, clapping, foot tapping, and sometimes dancing audiences.
They decided a few months ago they wanted to give young, aspiring performers a chance to relish the same experience they've enjoyed all these years -- getting on stage with a good sound system in front of an audience looking to be entertained.
The McDonalds are producing concerts on June 23 and June 30 that will feature young performers. Both shows start at 6 p.m. in Jackson Square.
"We're really concentrating on the youth this time," Bill McDonald said. "We've got eight, nine, 10-year-olds that we've wrangled in -- guitar players, a bagpipe player, and accordionist. We've got a couple of more seasoned veterans like Deanna Spiotta and Don Thomas and Steve Kruppner."
The young artists include William Franz (bagpipes), Leah Ford (guitar), Nolen Wright (guitar), Spencer Moscicki (guitar on June 23), and Quinn Karcher (accordion on June 30).
Also on the bill, the Ghost Riders and the Old Hippies.
The name of the show is, naturally, "Homegrown." The event is paid for through a $5,000 grant from the state that was administered by GO ART!
The young performers were found by talking with teachers and friends, but even with the dates set, there might be more room on the bill for other aspiring performers.
"We could probably squeeze room for more," Bill said. "If we had a few more, we could. Every time you do that, it limits somebody else's time. But that's okay. We think the more, the better. Everybody's gonna play. If we (the Old Hippies) only get a couple of songs than so be it."
