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In an ever-changing business climate in the medical system, Patrick Privatera has rolled with the times since first establishing Village Physical Therapy in 1998 in Le Roy, opening an office in Wayne County in 2003, acquiring Sports Plus in 2009, moving into a third location in Batavia in 2014, and now, a decade later, making yet another move.

Privatera has partnered with Cypress Health MVPT, which became official this past week. Cypress has acquired his practice, while Privatera focuses more on his primary role as director of injury prevention services. 

“That’s been full-time, and then I’ve also been managing three offices and running a business. So basically, two-thirds of my burden has been lifted off my shoulders because I have an organization in Cypress that’s helped us; it’s gonna help us do that. But then I get to focus on something that I’m more interested in clinically. So it’s kind of a win-win in that regard,” he said Wednesday to The Batavian. “In terms of selecting another organization to partner with and succeed us, I really feel like we couldn't have asked for a better fit than MVPT. I feel like we are very much aligned in our values and what we care about, which is just great patient care and being great community partners. I think that there are a lot of places, especially in physical therapy, that are just trying to do more of the same thing. And I think MVPT is really trying to, in every way, get better at doing what we're doing and not just do more of the same, but try and grow and develop as an organization and as individuals. 

“I feel like we're very fortunate to create this partnership with an organization like that,” he said. I’m really excited—for our staff, for our patients and for myself.”

Most of his 28-member staff and hours at the Le Roy, Batavia and Wayne County sites have remained the same, except that Le Roy also included a fitness center that is no longer part of the new collaboration. Physical therapy is the primary focus, so Privatera worked with a local company,  Ladies First Fitness, to take on many of his senior clients to avoid having any gap in services, he said. 

His role will continue as director of injury prevention services, which means that he will examine company employees with a fresh perspective and evaluate their work situations to reduce or eliminate job-related injuries.

Doing that job while operating the business, with all of the pressures that come with it, has made being in business “a lot less fun,” he said, while handing off those detailed responsibilities makes it “a lot more rewarding.”

Cypress Health Partners launched a major expansion in New York State at the beginning of this year, extending its physical therapy services from throughout New England into Upstate New York. 

Cypress Health partnered with Sports PT of New York and joined the MVPT Physical Therapy brand. Founder Lynn Steenberg, who was praised for continually demonstrating a commitment to delivering great access to care, fantastic patient experience and incredible clinical outcomes, is the regional director for the network of more than 120 physical therapist-owned and locally operated clinics.

Privatera had leased an office in Webster during the pandemic, and after he decided to let that go, Sports PT took it over, and he met up with Cypress Health Partners. They kept talking for about the next two years, and when it came down to it, “I had an awful lot on my plate,” Privatera said, including the realization of how many practitioners had put much thought into how to open a practice but then didn’t have a great exit, or retirement plan at the other end.

“I’m 51 now, so I'm not at retirement age, but I've watched a lot of people — there are a lot of physical therapists in this area that are probably 10 or 20 years older than me — and I've watched an awful lot of them never contemplate the possibility they wouldn't be doing what they're doing forever, you know. Everybody's got a plan to get into business, but they, a lot of times, people don't have a plan to get out of business and retire and all that kind of thing. And particularly when you're the owner of a practice, that can become difficult. So, I didn't want that to be my story, I didn't want to be in a position where I had to sell or I couldn't carry on,” he said. “And so … I had been trying to create a succession plan, basically what would happen when we were ready to step back. And, you know, I wanted to make sure I had given some thought and planned that so that we could do it on our terms when we were ready. And I think in Cypress, we found an organization that really shares our values, they're very community centered, they're patient care centered.”

Other factors included the cost of doing business, with labor prices going up, competition from larger healthcare systems getting swifter and hungrier—“gobbling up” the available workforce—and revenue from services about half what it used to be 20 years ago when you adjust for inflation, he said.

“The trend is payments are going down, down down, and labor is going up, up, up,” he said. “The payments for PT services in New York State is probably 30% below the the national average across the country. We should, by rights, have no difficulty hiring graduates (with the nearby colleges and universities) … but what’s happening is, as soon as these kids graduate, they get out of New York, they’re leaving because they can go and make, in some cases, twice as much money elsewhere. So it’s really, really hard to attract and retain good, young physical therapists for this area, even though there’s a plethora of academic programs churning them out.”

The upside is being able to still provide three sites — two local sites in Genesee County — with quality, trained staff and similar hours, he said. Not much has changed for the clients, other than a new logo and the removal of the fitness component to the Le Roy facility. That is “a loss for the community,” Privatera said, which is why he worked with the nearby Ladies First to accommodate his clients. 

“That was important to us. And I’m trying to hire another therapist at the Batavia site, we’ve gotten really busy, and we’re looking to expand our staff there,” he said, giving a nod to his  partner’s core beliefs. “Their mantra here is to basically say, hey, what do we need to do a really great job, and they want to support that. So, all the people behind the scenes that are based in Boston are really trying to help support us do a really great job with with our patients. I'm really excited about the resources that they will bring to our organization and our team. I'm just really excited about what we'll be able to accomplish together. 

“I think there's a lot of upsides for this. I can certainly understand, especially in a small community like Le Roy and Batavia, where people would be understandably skeptical of a larger organization coming in,” he said. “But I think that this is a larger organization with a small-town focus. And I don't think people should be concerned in any way. In fact, I think they're really lucky to be able to have a resource like this in their back yard.”

MVPT Physical Therapy has locations at 5 Alva Place, Batavia, 3 West Ave., Le Roy, and 1218 Mayberry Place, Macedon.

The Elmira Pioneers entered the fourth inning of Wednesday's rain-suspended West Division championship game ready to hit.

Matt Misiti, who tossed three innings on Tuesday before the downpour started, returned to the mound and recorded only one out while surrendering three runs, giving Elmira a 3-2 lead.

On the regular season, Misti was 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA 34 strikeouts.

The Pioneers scored again in the fifth and added on two more in the ninth to take the division title 6-3.

Trevor Dutra, who homed on Tuesday as part of a Muckdogs two-run third inning and gave Batavia the lead before the rain started, was 2-3 in the game.

The Muckogs had a regular season record of 34-8 while Elmira was 24-18.

Elmira next faces the Amsterdam Mohawks (35-7 in the regular season) for the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League championship. 

Since entering the league in 2021, the Muckdogs have finished 22-19 (third place), 30-15, 27-16, and this year, 34-8.  This season represents the third straight year that Batavia has finished with the best record in the West Division.

Photos by Howard Owens

The legal particularities of what evidence may be used at trial were the focus on Wednesday of a pair of hearings for defendants implicated in the death of Sgt. Thomas A. Sanfratello during a confrontation at Batavia Downs on March 10.

At issue is the legal sufficiency of a 710.30 notice, which refers to a portion of Criminal Procedure Law requiring the prosecution to provide notice to the defense of statements made by defendants to public officers.

The defense argues that District Attorney Kevin Finnell didn't provide enough detail in the 710.30 notice to alert them to which statements of their clients captured by police officer body-worn cameras might be used at trial.

County Court Judge Donald O'Geen pressed them on whether the detail they requested was really necessary, given that they received all of the body-worn camera footage obtained by the DA's office. He questioned whether it was realistic for the DA to be completely sure of which statements he might use at this state of the proceedings.

Both attorneys argued that the notices required more detail.

Finnell argued that he might very well use all of the video in question at trial, so the notice he filed provided sufficient information for the defense to prepare for trial.

The defendants are Michael J. Elmore and Lyndsey J. Wilcox. Elmore is charged with multiple charges for his alleged attack on Sanfratello, including aggravated manslaughter in the first degree, and Wilcox also faces several charges, including burglary and assault (full list of charges at the end of this story).

Elmore is represented by Joseph A. Lobosco, and Wilcox is represented by Daniel Dubois and James Vacca.

The hearing on Wednesday morning was the next stage of the process that is likely to lead to criminal trials early next year for Elmore and possibly Wilcox (unless there is a plea agreement). At this stage, defense attorneys make motions, the people (prosecution) file their answering affidavits, then the judge hears limited oral arguments (the purpose of Wednesday's hearing) and then the judge reviews the motions and arguments and issues a ruling.

Lobosco also moved to dismiss the grand jury indictment against Elmore because, in his view, the DA asked too many leading questions (assertions rather than open-ended questions) during grand jury testimony.

"This tainted the entire grand jury process," Lobosco argued.

Finnell defended the grand jury testimony by noting that supposed leading questions were just drawing attention to portions of video and asking witnesses to affirm the accuracy of the video.

The other important issue for Dubois and Vacca in representing Wilcox was the validity of the burglary charge.  The burglary charge is predicated on the assertion that a person remained unlawfully on private property after being asked to leave with the intent to commit another crime.

Vacca argued that a review of the surveillance video shows that Sanfratello confronted Elmore, Wilcox and a third party inside of Rush 34, one of the bars inside of Batavia Downs, and apparently informed them they needed to leave the facility.  The video indicates Wilcox was cooperative and complying and is seen at one point, standing aside and laughing and joking with a female security guard. She then, he said, walks ahead of Sanfratello while being escorted out of the facility. Near the front door, there is, according to Vacca, an inadvertent brush of hands between Wilcox and Sanfratello.

Wilcox reacts to this and hits Sanfratello, so Sanfratello takes her to the ground and places her in handcuffs.  It is after she is in cuffs that Elmore allegedly attacks Sanfratello. 

Dubois argued that Wilcox should not be charged with assault based on the video evidence. That her actions constitution, at most, a violation of the harassment statute.

None of this, the attorneys argue, supports the assertion that Wilcox formed an intent to stay in the building in order to commit a crime.

Finnell countered that the action of Wilcox constituted resisting arrest and that her hitting Sanfratello became assault because he was a police officer conducting his official duties. He also argued that it isn't possible to know when Sanfratello's heart emergency, which eventually led to his death, started.  It could have started, he said, during the confrontation with Wilcox.

O'Geen is expected to issue a ruling before the next court appearances for Elmore and Wilcox on Aug. 23.

Both defendants remain in custody.

Elmore was indicted by the Grand Jury on counts of:

• Aggravated manslaughter in the first degree, a Class B felony. He is accused of intending to cause serious physical injury to a police officer and, as result, causing the death of a police officer;
• Aggravated criminally negligent homicide, a Class C violent felony. He is accused of causing the death of Sanfratello with criminal negligence;
• Assault in the first degree, a Class B violent felony. Elmore is accused of causing the death of Sanfratello while in the commission of another crime, burglary in the second degree;
• Burglary in the second degree, a Class C violent felony. He is accused of knowingly entering a building unlawfully with the intent to commit a crime in the building and threatening to use or did use a dangerous instrument.

Elmore and Wilcox are indicted on counts of:

• Burglary in the second degree, a Class C violent felony. Elmore and Wilcox are accused of remaining unlawfully in a building with the intent to commit a crime in the building and, while in the building, causing serious physical injury to another person;
• Assault in the second degree, a Class D violent felony. Elmore and Wilcox are accused of causing physical injury to a police officer who was in the act of performing his official duties;
• Obstruction of governmental administration in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor. The pair is accused of trying to intentionally prevent a police officer from performing his official duty by means of intimidation, physical force, or interference.

Press Release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced that as part of OTB’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, the corporation will be making the Tommy DeCarlo, Jason Sheff, and August Zadra concert, taking place on August 16, a show with free General Admission Tickets. 

Those wishing to attend the concert can pick up their free GA ticket upon arrival at Batavia Downs inside of Park Place on Friday, August 16.

A fireworks show will also take place following the concert that evening.

Tommy DeCarlo became the lead singer of Boston in 2008 and has performed with them for 2 decades. Jason Scheff joined the band Chicago in 1985 as lead singer/songwriter/bass player and went on to perform thousands of live concerts worldwide spanning four decades during a non-stop touring and recording career with the multi-platinum band. Longtime Dennis DeYoung Band lead guitarist and singer, August Zadra, will be doing a mini set of Styx classics.

For those who already purchased tickets prior to today’s announcement, an upgrade table located outside of the Park Place room on Friday, August 16 will allow attendees to upgrade their tickets to the next section closer to the stage.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Police Department announced that the annual Community Night will take place on Monday, August 5 from 5:30 - 8 p.m. at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena located at 22 Evans Street.

Batavia Downs Gaming and Upstate Niagara/O-AT-KA Milk Products are the Diamond Sponsors with all sponsor proceeds going to support the department’s K-9 program.

“We are very excited to conduct our annual Community Night at the ice arena as it gives us more space and flexibility and less disruption because of street closures,” said Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch. “More importantly, the ice arena is a community gathering place which reflects the spirit of the event which is to build on the relationship between the police department and its citizens.” 

Community Night is an annual community-building campaign that promotes strong police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make safer neighborhoods. Various organizations and groups once again will be participating in the annual event which will include free food. There will be displays and other interactive activities both inside and outside the arena. 

Among the Gold Sponsors include Chapin, Extended Sound, Grace Baptist Church, Ken Barrett Chevrolet Cadillac Inc., Mogavero’s Auto, and Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union. 

Silver sponsors include Beverly’s Flowers and Gifts, Ficarella’s Pizzeria, Genesee County Economic Development Center, Genesee County Sign Shop, H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Homes, Habitat for Humanity Genesee County, Horizons Health Services, Kiwanis Club Batavia, Main St. Pizza, Mercy EMS, Northside Deli, Perry Vet, Salmon Orthodontics, Southside Deli, Town of Batavia Fire Department, Toyota of Batavia, TShirts Etc., UConnectCare, and V.J. Gautier Constructors, Inc. 

Bronze sponsors include Batavia Lions Club, Cedar Street Sales and Rental, and Pathstone Corporation.

For more information and for those interested in a sponsorship opportunity, should contact Batavia Police Department Detective Matthew Wojtaszczyk at 585-345-6357 or at mwojtaszczyk@batavianewyork.com.

Press Release:

BND United Hockey is excited to announce its Pickleball Tournament, scheduled for Sunday, August 18. The event will take place at Batavia High School, located at 260 State St., Batavia on the tennis courts.

The tournament will feature two sessions:

• AM Flight: 9 a.m. - Noon
• PM Flight: 1 - 4 p.m. (if needed)

This fun, non-sanctioned event is designed to bring pickleball enthusiasts together while supporting the BND United Hockey program. The cost to participate is $20 per person or $40 per team, with a doubles format.

Participants will enjoy a hot dog, water, outdoor games (cornhole, can jam, ping pong), and music. For those who need a doubles partner, arrangements will be made.

To register, please contact John Kirkwood at jkusa1989@gmail.com. Indicate your preferred session or your availability for either. Registration fees can be paid via check made out to BND United Hockey, Venmo @John-Kirkwood-13, or cash on the day of the event.

Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams in each flight, and the tournament will help raise funds for the upcoming hockey season.

For more information, please contact John Kirkwood at the email address above.

Trevor Dutra delivered a bomb over the right field wall in the bottom of the third inning of Tuesday's division championship game to give the Muckdogs a 1-0 lead over Elmira.

The game was suspended at the start of the fourth inning because of a heavy downpour drenching Batavia.

The Muckdogs have a 2-0 lead in the suspended game after Caleb Walker scored on a wild pitch later in the bottom of the third.

The game resumes on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.  Tickets from Tuesday's game are still valid.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press Release:

To all motorists, residents, and property owners along Terry Hills Drive in the Town of Batavia:

Terry Hills Drive will be paved on August 5 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

The roadway will be closed to all traffic on Terry Hills Drive between Clinton St-Rd/ Route 33 and dead-end while paving operations occur. Residents and Property owners of Terry Hills Drive will have limited access and should expect delays.

Emergency services will be permitted through. All other traffic will not be permitted through the road closure. This work is weather dependent. If work is delayed it will be rescheduled for the next available date.

If there are any questions concerning this work, please contact The Town of Batavia – Highway Department at (585) 343-1729 Extension 218. Thank you for your cooperation in advance.

Press Release:

Enjoy a free concert on a summer night at the DeWitt Recreation Area on Saturday, August 3 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Meet us at Pavilion 2 for a concert featuring the Batavia Swing Band.

Bring a lawn chair and your favorite people! First come, first served seating at picnic tables. The Pink Cow Ice Cream truck will be on hand for all of your sweet treat needs. 

This concert is FREE. Made possible through generous funding by the Genesee County Association for the Conservation of Recreational and Natural Spaces (ACORNS).

The Batavia Muckdogs opened the postseason with a 4-2 win over Jamestown at Dwyer Stadium on Monday.

Batavia finished the regular season with a 34-8 record for a .802 win percentage, 10 games ahead of second-place Elmira and the second-best record in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. The Amsterdam Mohawks finished 35-7 for a .833 win percentage.

Jamestown, 19-25 in the regular season, opened the scoring with two runs in the second on an RBI single by Leo Doyle. Two batters later, Aidan Wallace scored on a wild pitch.

The Muckdogs answered in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by T.J. Morris and tied the game in the bottom of the third when Travis Hammond scored on a fielder's choice.

Hammond again scored in the sixth on a fielder's choice in the sixth to give the Muckdogs the lead.

Batavia picked up an insurance run in the eighth after Shaun Pope walked to open the inning (replaced on the basepaths by James Mason), a single by Travis Hammond, a walk to Jake Butler, and finally a walk, forcing a run in (Mason) to Cooper Romich.

The win was credited to Garrett Beaver, who took the mound in the sixth, relieving Gage Wheaton (Penfield/Niagara University), who went five innings, giving up four hits, two runs, and striking out five Tarp Skunks.

Hammond was 2-2 with a walk at the plate, scoring two runs. 

To keep their season going, the Muckdogs need another win on Tuesday night against Elmira at Dwyer Stadium. Game time is 6:35 p.m.

Press Release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is extending its hours every first Wednesday of the month until 8 p.m.! You will get personal tours from staff and volunteers, meaning you will get a more in-depth history of Batavia and Genesee County! You also may be able to go upstairs, if you are able and want to! Admission is $5 for non-members and $3 for members! Call the museum or email us if you wish to attend! (585) 343-4727 or hollandlandofficemuseum@gmail.com.

Join the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Trivia Night at the Museum on Thursday, August 8 at 7 p.m. This month trivia will be held at GO Art! located at 201 E. Main St. in Batavia. You can even get a drink at their Tavern 2.o.1. In honor of the Woodstock Music Festival, our topic is the Swinging Sixties. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

Due to popular demand for varying times in our presentation/program times! HLOM staff with be giving presentations every second Saturday of the month from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Saturday, August 10! Our curator, Tyler Angora, will be presenting on "19th-Century Weddings," which he did a few months ago to kick off the wedding exhibit! However, due to many requests, he will be doing it again! You will learn about 19th-century wedding customs, clothing, and so much more! Admission $5 for non-members and $3 for members! You may let us know if you are planning on attending by either calling the museum at (585)343-4727 or emailing us at hollandlandofficemuseum@gmail.com.

Bring the kids by the Holland Land Office Museum for our new History Story time for Summer 2024. On Saturday, August 17 at 11 a.m. Joyce Thompson-Hovey will be sharing the fun topic of Civil War Mascots & Pets. For this presentation the speaker comes in Civil War Union uniform and explains what the average soldier wore and carried with them. This program shows how many regiments had strange and unusual pets. These pets went to war and lived in camps with their soldier owners. These are their unusual stories. Admission is $5 or $3 or museum members. If you would like to sign up please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com. 

Come and learn the first steps to create a Family Tree from 2 - 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 17. In partnership with the Genesee Area Genealogists, this is the first part of a two-part program to learn how to begin creating a family tree, which can be daunting if you do not know where to start! This workshop is worth bringing your kids to, it would be a fun activity for a family to do together! Admission is $5 for non-members and $3 for members!

Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Java with Joe E. morning presentation series on Thursday, August 22 at 9 a.m. Erica Wanecski will be sharing how the world and Western New York changed throughout the decade of the 1980s. Admission is free with coffee and cookies. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend. Thank you to Pub Hub Coffee for sponsoring Java with Joe E. for 2024. 

On August 24 at 11 a.m. Brandon Brooks, Curator of the John L. Wehle Gallery at Genesee Country Village & Museum, will be presenting “Redeeming the Irredeemable: The Diabolical Striped Garment,” The presentation will explore how the stripe and striped garments have been used by society to draw a line between those who are welcome and those who are not. From nefarious criminals, rebels, insurgents, and prisoners, to the middle-class masses, and those wishing to embrace seaside luxury; the history of stripes is full of colorful and conflicting implications. Extent pieces from the Bruce & Susan Greene Costume Collection will complement this discussion. Brooks has been the Curator of the John L. Wehle Gallery at Genesee Country Village & Museum since March 2020. Brooks works with over 400 years of European and American sporting and wildlife art, and over 300 years of fashion and textile material culture. Admission is $5 for non-members and $3 for members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

"This project is made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!"

Press release:

The City of Batavia Police Department is looking for assistance in locating a dog that may have been stolen from a residence on Masse Pl. "Beau" is a 15 month old Corgi who is white with black and gray spotting on his back end. Beau is also deaf. Beau is believed to have been taken during the morning of July 27th. If you have any information to the whereabouts of Beau, please contact Officer Quider at 585-345-6350.

Press Release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced that on Friday, December 6, Marsha McWilson will return to Batavia Downs as she performs her yearly Christmas Concert.  

Marsha brings a high energy show that features Christmas Classics and other favorites. She and the other performers have entertained concert goers for many years inside the Park Place Room. Doors are at 6:30 p.m. with music beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and concert go-ers will receive $10 in Free Play.

Tickets for this event are available at www.BataviaConcerts.com.  The Hotel Deal for this event is live at this time and links can be found on Facebook or  https://www.bataviadownsgaming.com/hotel-deals/.

Press Release:

Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM) (“GHM” or “the Company”), a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer, and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries, announced today that it has been awarded $2.1 million for the expansion of its welder training programs and related equipment.  

The contract was awarded by BlueForge Alliance, a nonprofit, neutral integrator that supports the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base initiatives.

Daniel J. Thoren, President and CEO of GHM, commented, “These are exciting times for our Company as we build out our capabilities and capacity to support America’s defense industry as a part of the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base.

These funds will help us develop and grow our welder workforce and provide additional equipment needed to improve the efficiency of our production processes. We are proud to be a strategic supplier for the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base.”