batavia

Press release:

The Suicide Prevention Coalition of Genesee County presents:

Passion for a purpose! "How to Fill Your Personal Bucket" with guest speaker Sherry Crumity, YWCA Domestic Violence Support Services coordinator.

Tuesday, Sept. 26 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the YWCA of Genesee County, located at 301 North St., Batavia.

Join us as we learn tips on how to identify what drains your bucket, and the tools necessary to fill it up again.

Sherry Crumity is a Masters Level Clinical Mental Health counselor with 10 years experience working in therapeutic settings and 12 years experience working in not-for-profit and public school settings.

Light refreshments will be served at 5:30, program begins at 6.

There is limited seating, please register by Sept. 22 by calling the Care and Crisis Helpline at (585) 344-4400 or email hbaxter@ywcagenesee.org

Ladies Night is provided free of charge through the support of the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Genesee County, the YWCA of Genesee County and Zonta Club of Batavia-Genesee County.

The executive director of the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse said a proposed 2,700-square foot addition to the agency's campus at 424 E. Main St. in Batavia is on a fast track to completion pending approval by the City Planning & Development Committee next week.

Speaking after Thursday night's Genesee County Planning Board meeting, where the site plan was recommended for approval without stipulations, John Bennett said the clinic could be "up and running in 14 months" and will be funded by an $820,000 Rapid Treament Expansion Grant from New York State.

Bennett attended the meeting with Raymond Murphy, project manager for Fontanese, Folts, Aubrecht, Ernst architects of Orchard Park. Murphy said they will take the plan before the City Planning & Development Committee on Sept. 19 and then prepare drawings for the building permit.

"We've talked to City Council and the Genesee County Legislature about this, expressing our view that it is much needed for the community," Bennett said, noting that the clinic would be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.. Monday through Saturday to dispense the medication to people battling opioid addiction. "And it is very private; that's one thing I like."

According to the American Addiction Centers website, a methadone clinic is a place where a person who is addicted to opioid-based drugs, such as heroin or prescription painkillers, can receive medication-based therapy. Patients receive methadone, or the brand name version known as Dolophine, which is an opioid analgesic. This treatment is often referred to as replacement therapy.

Bennett said the methadone is dispensed in liquid form, with each visit averaging about five minutes. He said it is a long-acting, safe medication that produces "little or no cravings."

Other drugs used to treat this type of addiction include suboxone, vivitrol and naltrexone.

The new clinic, which will be attached to the back of the existing treatment/prevention facility, will be able to provide services for up to 150 people at any given time, Bennett said. It also will result in the hiring of 10 to 12 more employees, including nurses, medical director, counselors and support staff.

GCASA has treated more than 1,200 people for opioid addiction since 2006, Bennett said, adding that the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 65,000 people will die due to opioids in the coming year.

At top, architect's renderings showing the GCASA campus, with the proposed addition in red in lower drawing.

P.W. Minor is doing what businesses do periodically, said owner Pete Zeliff this morning -- reorganizing. 

While the company's reputation was built on its orthopedic shoe line, rebuilding the brand and the business in that market is proving difficult, Zeliff said. Meanwhile, the "white label" shoe business is growing and shows promise for more growth.

"White label" means making shoes on the specifications and under the brands of other shoe companies.

Last week, the company laid off eight employees and more cuts are possible, Zeliff said, based on how things go in the coming months.

"We're cutting costs," Zeliff said. "Sales are down. Revenue is down. I can only keep writing checks out of my own pocket for so long. It's ridiculous to keep doing it."

Zeliff said many of P.W. Minor's former customers dropped the shoe line during the company's previous ownership and winning them back has proven tough. Many of those customers have gotten used to buying shoes made in China and seem willing to accept buying a new pair of shoes twice a year instead one pair every two years of a better quality shoe.

And those orders come in two and three shoes at a time, which make them more expensive to produce.

With "white label" contracts, P.W. Minor is able to produce larger runs of particular shoes at higher margins.

It can take 18 months, though, to land a new white label contract. That's how long it took P.W. Minor to go from introduction through samples to production for K-Swiss.

Zeliff said there are more white label deals coming. There's one company P.W. Minor has been working with for 20 months which will likely place an order soon. Another potential contract could mean increasing production by 40,000 to 50,000 pairs of shoes a year.

Before the recent layoffs, the factory was producing 180 pairs of shoes a day, sometimes 200 pairs. Since the layoffs, the factory has hit a production target of 200 pairs a day consistently.

"I think it opened some people's eyes," Zeliff said. "I've told them there will probably be more layoffs in the near future. Now all the production picks up. Nobody wants to be the guys getting laid off."

The 150-year-old company was about to close in 2014 when Zeliff and then partner Andrew Young stepped in saved it. Zeliff has been focused on revamping the business since, bringing in top marketers and designers and investing in new equipment.

In 2015, the company ended all production in China, bringing those jobs back to Batavia, with assistance from New York.

The other part of the P.W. Minor showing promise is the Abram Boots line and Batavia Boot & Shoe Company collection, introduced last fall. Both brands are showing sales growth, especially the boots, he said.

"I think we're on a good path," Zeliff said. "Has there been some pain? Yeah, but I've been sticking 200 grand into the business each month to keep it going and I don't know anybody else in this town who would keep on doing that."

Wyoming County writer and photographer Barbara Knight was on hand Thursday night at GO ART! for an artist's reception featuring her photos of Ireland. Knight has worked for 25 years as a writer and photographer and she traveled to Ireland in April. The photos on display at GO ART! capture the beauty and grandeur of what she saw during her visit.

GO ART! also opened its latest member show, "Guilty Pleasure."

Alex Segouia, of Avon, with his painting, "Lust." 

Lydia Zwierzynski with "Dreams of Fortune." 

Top picture, "West of the Fields" by Kevin Hammon, and "The Fishing Shack" by Julie Lambert.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region held a fundraiser at Batavia Country Club yesterday, A Taste of Independence.

More than a dozen businesses participated, among them Red Osier, T.F. Brown's, Amber Lantern and D&R Depot.

Independent Living provides assistance to people with permanent or temporary disabilities and funds raised through the event will be used to support those services.

Press release:

Rochester Regional Health is pleased to announce Tara L. Gellasch, MD, has been named Chief Medical Officer for United Memorial Medical Center, effective Oct. 1.

Dr. Gellasch will oversee the medical staff office, graduate medical education, and pastoral care at UMMC. She will focus on the continued support and growth of the medical team and the facilitation of expertise sharing across Rochester Regional Health.

In addition to her role as Chief Medical Officer, she will serve as medical director of the Women’s Care Centers.

"We are looking forward to Dr. Gellasch joining our successful team and bringing her medical expertise and innovative perspective to United Memorial Medical Center,” said Dan Ireland, president. “Dr. Gellasch’s leadership will allow UMMC to further advance our clinical excellence and her passion for caring for each patient reinforces our commitment to the community and families we serve.”

Previously, Dr. Gellasch served as associate chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology and lead physician for The Women’s Center at Newark-Wayne Community Hospital. Prior to that she served as medical director for The Women’s Health Practice at the University of Rochester, where she managed clinical and administrative staff and coordinated continuity clinic for obstetrics and gynecology residents. From 2009 to 2012, Dr. Gellasch held faculty and committee positions for the Rochester General Medical Group (now known as the Rochester Regional Medical Group).

Dr. Gellasch earned her medical degree from McGill University in Quebec, Canada, in 2001 and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Emery University in Atlanta in 2005. She is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Gellasch succeeds Michael Merrill, MD, who resigned earlier this year.

Reasons to hire an attorney for a workers’ compensation claim:

• 1. The workers’ compensation system is complex, confusing, and often difficult to navigate.
• 2. We will look out for your best interests, fight on your behalf against the insurance carrier to maximize your benefits, and make sure your questions are answered.
• 3. In some cases, you may be entitled to a financial award, even if you did not miss any time from work as a result of your work-related injury.
• 4. The insurance carrier will have a team of attorneys working on their behalf, having an attorney fighting on your behalf helps to level the playing field.

Please call Kristin Allen at Dolce Panepinto 585-815-9003 for any of your workers’ compensation needs.

      Adner Davila

A 62-year-old man facing multiple drug-dealing charges is being released from jail while awaiting further legal proceedings after a bail review hearing before Judge Charles Zambito in County Court this afternoon.

Adner P. Davila, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, scored well enough on a bail evaluation worksheet that he was deemed not a flight risk and eligible for release under supervision of Genesee Justice.

The bail evaluation is based on numerous factors such as ties to the community, potential jail term if convicted, appearance record on prior charges and prior charges, if any.

In Davila's case, he does have six prior felonies, including three violent felonies, in his past, as well as a failure to appear, but those charges were years ago and were not really a factor in his bail evaluation.

Davila is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, five counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and one count of criminally using drug paraphernalia. 

During his release under supervision, Davila is confined to his residence at a trailer park on West Main Street Road, except for doctor's appointments. Upon request, Zambito also granted him permission to visit DSS to recertify his Medicaid eligibility, with notification of the trip to Genesee Justice.

A pole is down and wires are in the roadway at 140 Elm St., Batavia. City firefighters and Mercy medics responding.

UPDATE 1:35 p.m.: A semi truck was traveling down Elm Street when it snagged a tree branch, which snapped off and took down a pole and wires. It lodged between the cab and the trailer of the semi. No one was injured. The ambulance was sent as a precaution; the driver was a sign-off.

The monthly meeting of the Batavia Society of Artists last night featured a demonstration by Patricia Tribastone in a style of painting known as Alla Prima.

The Alla Prima style of painting is a technique in which the artist completes a painting in one sitting. The painting is done “wet into wet” and the main characteristics are fresh color, minimized detail, and brush work. 

Tribastone, who is involved in numerous national art organizations and has won several awards for her pastel and oil paintings, set up a still life scene for the demonstration and explained how she arranged her subject and the materials she used to complete the painting.

Tribastone has a gallery and studio in Canandaigua at 32 S. Main St.

This weekend the Batavia Players present at Harvester 56 a three-act play, "The Laramie Project," which is based on the murder of Matthew Shepard.

Shepard was a 22-year-old student at the University of Wyoming when he was beaten and robbed and left tied to a fence post in the fall of 1998. Two friends of Shepard's soon after claimed he was killed because he was gay and Shepard's death gained national attention and led to the creation of hate crime laws in most states. Whether Shepard was killed because he was gay has been called into question during the intervening years.

The play is written by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project in New York City.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $13 for adults, $10 for seniors and students.

The show contains content that may not be suitable for young children.

The cast: Dorothy Gerhart, Michele Stamp, Joe Kasmierczak, Anthony Giambrone, Micheal Flanagan, Wendy Williams, Kathy Johns, Lucine Kauffman, Peggy Marone, and Norm Argulsky. All cast members play multiple roles.

This year’s 7th Annual Downtown Batavia Wine Walk will Fall Back to the '80s! Join us from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7th. Make your way throughout some of our Downtown businesses, tasting over 20 amazing New York State Wines in '80s style. This year’s event offers several Large Raffle Baskets, photo booth fun, prizes for Best Dressed, social media voting on “Best Place to Taste” as participants decide on their favorite stop, and more!
 
Only 600 tickets sold to this year’s event! Regular tickets $25, VIP Tickets $35 and DD Tickets at $5. VIP ticket holders this year get in an hour early to start, a free entry into the raffles and a Wine Walk Goodie Bag.

Tickets are available now online at www.downtownbataviany.com or for purchase at Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle, The Yngodess Shop and The Hidden Door/Pollyanna & Dot.

Ron Burroughs was out on Ellicott Street yesterday evening in one of his custom-made bicycles. In this case, a two-seater made to look like a UPS delivery truck.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Thursday Sept. 14 from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the general area west of Bank Street and north of West Main Street. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored. If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about five minutes or until clear.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants Monday –Wednesday, Sept. 18 – 20 from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the general area west of Jackson Street and south of West Main Street. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored. If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about five minutes or until clear.

Press release:

Tracy Avenue in the City of Batavia will be temporarily closed to traffic from Washington Avenue to North Street, Wednesday, Sept. 13th, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for sewer repair. Motorists are asked to seek alternate routes.

Genesee Community College holds a special place in the heart of Charles Zambito, the Genesee County Court judge said today during the 50th-anniversary convocation in the Stuart Steiner Theatre.

It's not that Zambito, who also served on the county legislature and as county attorney, graduated from the two-year college. He didn't even attend a class there. It was the role his father, Anthony Zambito, played in the development and success of the campus that makes the place special to him.

Anthony Zambito, a scientist who worked on the Manhatten Project, a farmer, and a community leader, served on the Board of Trustees for nearly 40 years, one of the longest such tenures in the nation. The college's gym is named after him.

"He believed deeply in the value of education and service to others," Charles Zambito said.

Charles Zambito, who was a teenager when his father became involved with the community college effort, witnessed firsthand the college's growth, and said during his keynote address today that the examples set by those early leaders offer lessons to new generations of leaders, which they can learn from, and they demonstrate values which are still deeply embedded in the spirit of GCC.

"Another factor that contributed to the early success of the college was the strong dedicated leadership beginning with the first board of trustees," Zambito said. "They deserve much credit for not only getting the college started on its early and rapid growth, but more importantly, helping instill a philosophy and culture of success and excellence as well as a special sense of loyalty and belonging. It was present on the very first day of classes and has remained a constant part of the college since."

The college almost didn't get off the ground, Zambito recalled. When Mike Ryan and the Batavia Area Jaycees first brought forth the idea of starting a community college in Batavia, the Board of Supervisors (the county's governing body then) rejected the idea. They weren't even willing to support a study of the proposal. Ryan and the other Jaycees had to convince the board that the study would cost them nothing and not commit them to supporting it once the study was completed.

Eventually, Ryan and his team produced a 75-page study recommending the creation of a community college.

By state law, all the board had to do was pass a resolution to create a community college, but a motion to take that step failed on a 9-10 vote. One of the opponents of the college idea then proposed a public referendum on the collage idea. That motion passed 14-6, with all of the opponents of the college voting yes and the six no votes coming from supporters of the college.

"It was everyone's belief that the chances of passage of this referendum were slim," Zambito said. "Defeat at the polls would effectively close the matter for the foreseeable future."

Opponents said there weren't more than 50 people in the whole county who would want to attend college and the county would be better off creating a vocational school, which would help put people to work and keep them off public assistance.

The referendum was scheduled for November 1965 and for more than a year prior to the vote, the college issue became the most widely debated and discussed issue in the history of the county, Zambito said. He said you couldn't walk down the street without somebody stopping you and asking you what you thought of the college proposal.

When the vote came, the referendum passed 7,730 to 6,670.

Two supervisors, the board president, and its treasurer, who opposed the college prior to the vote, made a crucial decision in the fate of the college at that point.

"They publicly announced that if the county was going to sponsor a community college, they wanted it to be the best in the state," Zambito said.

Among the values and principles embodied in GCC that were important to his father, Zambito said, were that the school be a place where concern for the welfare of students goes beyond what happens in the classroom. That tradition continues, he said.

"Going forward, I think if my father were here, he would be comforted by the fact that the GCC Board of Trustees and this administration and faculty and staff continues to be guided by the same principles and ideals to move forward, reaching new heights," Zambito said.

Press release:

Kimberly Brodsky, 26, of Bank Street in Batavia, was granted a one-year conditional discharge by Batavia Town Justice Michael Cleveland on Monday, Sept. 11, as a result of her guilty plea to one count of petit larceny.

She had originally been charged in Batavia Town Court in June with one count of fourth-degree grand larceny and one count of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree. She agreed to plead guilty to petit larceny as part of a plea deal.

The original charges were filed after a Social Services investigation revealed Brodsky failed to list wages she was receiving on applications she submitted to the Genesee County Department of Social Services. By submitting the falsified documents to the Department of Social Services, Brodsky received $2,423.50 in benefits to which she was not entitled.

In addition to the conditional discharge Brodsky made restitution of $2,423.50 and received a lifetime disqualification from SNAP -- the Food Stamp program.

Anyone wishing to report suspected cases of welfare fraud in Genesee County can contact the Genesee County Department of Social Services Fraud Investigation Unit at (585) 344-2580, ext. 6417, or 6416. All calls are confidential.

Martin Jones is indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, and two counts of offering a false instrument for filing. Jones is accused of presenting a document, a forged Medical Examination for Employability report, to officials at the Department of Social Services on Feb. 23 for the purpose of fraudulently claiming benefits. He also allegedly presented a forged Medical Qualifications/Work Status report.

Daniel J. Difrancesco is indicted on a count of felony DWI and of refusing a breath test. Difrancesco is accused of driving drunk April 18 in the Town of Batavia on Route 5. It's alleged he has a prior DWI conviction within the past 10 years, in May 2007.

Gail M. Williams is indicted on a count of third-degree grand larceny. Williams is accused of stealing property with a value in excess of $3,000 from a location in the Town of Le Roy, between late 2014 and early 2017.