batavia

Something you may not know about Jason Smith is that he didn’t aspire to be a school district superintendent.

In fact, his current role as head of Batavia City Schools just sort of happened with a suggestion that he should consider the next position, he says.

“The thing is there's nothing I've ever aspired to, it's kind of come to me, it's been a calling," Smith said during an interview with The Batavian. "When I was a teacher I never had any aspiration to be a superintendent. I was happy as a teacher. I was happy as an assistant principal. I was happy as a principal. I was happy as a superintendent in Lyndonville. I'm happy to be here."

His response was to one of several questions asked by The Batavian for an update on how his current role as Batavia City Schools superintendent has been going since he began Jan. 1 of this year. Smith has been a multi-district educator, going from Albion to Elba to Lyndonville, and now to Batavia.

Jack of all trades ...
He feels that he can connect with most anyone given his myriad of interests. The 50-year-old city resident plays the trombone, studies and snaps photos of birds, likes to run and participate in 5Ks, enjoys watching sports — he's a big Buffalo Bills fan — majored in history at college, and is a huge Bruce Springsteen and movie fan, especially Oscar winners.

It’s that kind of versatility that helps him to go from talking baseball and a budget to plumbing and roofing problems, he said. He has tried to finesse the art of knowing at least a little about a lot of various subjects, he said.

Jason Smith goes back to school ...
A 1990 Batavia High School graduate, Smith shared how he reminisced while walking down those Blue Devil hallways once again. He received a quick tour on his first official Monday, Jan. 3, and then did some reminiscing on a snow day later that week. He remembered classes, teachers — Mr. Trosey from English class and Mr. Hay from band -- and old friendships -- checked out the Athletic Hall of Fame and came upon fond memories.

"I walked through the hallways by myself and I tried to realign myself to the classes that I had. And as I was doing it, I was texting a couple of my friends I'm still friends with from high school, about the different spots I found. I found my old locker. I wanted to get reacclimatized to the school as a new student would,” he said. “That really wasn't my first memory because it was the first three days or so I was touring all the schools and meeting all the students and staff. And then I thought I had some time Thursday to kind of walk through very peacefully. And I just found it special for me to be back here in this capacity. I had time to kind of pause, you know, that the process of getting the job itself was very exciting. But then I had time to pause."

Smith picked up a glass crystal apple from the corner of his desk. Mr. Trosey had sent it to him following one of Smith’s opening day speeches that included credits to teachers, including Trosey, who had impacted his school career. It’s by far not alone in his collection of memorabilia. One tall bookshelf is full of notes from students and other school tidbits, plus, of course, his trombone, and there's a row of school programs that he has saved. "I'm very proud of those," he said.

Several minutes into the interview and the gloves came off: did you ever get into trouble at school Mr. Smith?

His initial answer was no, however, upon further reflection, Smith recalled when band teacher Mr. Hay “had to have a talk with me.”

“When I was a sophomore, I got my driver's license. And I was like the band treasurer or something. I was only 16 as a sophomore. So I had a car, and I was having fun driving students back and forth to home," he said. "And Mr. Hay had to pull me aside and have a talk with me: ‘Jason, I made you the treasurer for a reason. You've been unfocused.’ I'm sure that no, I didn't get in trouble. But I did have a couple of talks ensue from Mr. Hay.”

Smith often eats lunch with students and said that his old favorite was taco pizza and chocolate milk. “It still is,” he said, adding that chicken poppers and a frosted cookie for his sweet tooth also make the list. One thing you wouldn’t have found on his tray back then was broccoli, he admitted.

A little personal with professional ...
Smith has previously mentioned that he takes care of himself by getting “all of the proper components,” such as running four to five times a week, trying to watch what he eats, playing his trombone, enjoying movies, his family, the two dogs, and birds that frequent his back yard bird feeders. Family includes his wife Lori, daughter Megan, a 2020 BHS graduate, son Matthew, a BHS senior, and eighth-grade daughter Madeline. Megan may be following in dad’s footsteps by pursuing teaching at Niagara University, while Matthew wasn’t quite as excited to have his father at school as dad was, Smith said.

“I think it's fun. You know, he's enjoying his senior year. So I try to be respectful of that, but … the first day or so he wasn't so crazy about it," Smith said. "So as I said, ‘just embrace it. You know I'm here. Just in person.’”

Cooper, the family’s boxer lab mix, got a companion when the Smiths adopted Carol, a foxhound, in January. She was born in a litter named after The Brady Bunch sitcom characters, however, she was renamed from Marsha to Carol, because “we liked Carol better.”

“I enjoy walking and playing with them and try to have balance,” Smith said.

Part of his “entry process” as superintendent meant visiting with many people throughout the school district for a few months. He asked them to describe the school district in one word and found some of the answers a pleasant surprise. Words such as diversity, resilient, pride and supportive popped up.

Actually, there wasn’t really anything that surprised him as much as they “kind of also reaffirmed what I've already thought walking into the district.”

“They said things like pride, inclusive. I was proud to hear those words,” he said.

What's been the most challenging task since he started here? Being accessible to the 450 staff members and more than 2,000 students districtwide, he said.

“So a challenge I've had, and I’ve tried to overcome this by making myself accessible at games and concerts, was getting to know as many people as possible," he said. "And at smaller districts that were just as important to do. So I build time into going to as many things as I can.”

Does that ever get tiresome, having to attend so many public outings?

“It’s all I've known. It's just how I do business, you know? It's one of the pieces that people have in common as the board watches … they want to see visible superintendents in town. So it's not hard for me I don't find it challenging. I accepted it, and it's just part of my lifestyle now,” he said. “And I enjoy it. I'm going to the baseball game this afternoon. I tried to have a policy like this, as to what's going on, from pre-K all the way up to a senior baseball game.”

The public may not have connected a series of bird photos published on The Batavian as being from Jason Smith, superintendent of BCSD. His love of birds began with two parakeets he had as a kid. When he left as principal of Elba in 2011, Smith was given a bird feeder as a present because he had talked about birds. Smith now has some five bird feeders stationed at his southside home, he said. His grandfather loved birds and Smith has followed suit, to the point where he takes and submits photos consistently, compares notes about the feathered creatures with a neighbor, and generally enjoys watching them.

“It’s that moment of peace, I think,” he said.

Time to discuss the 2022-23 budget for a minute. The $54.8 million proposed budget includes an increase of $2.7 million in spending and a related 1 percent increase in the tax levy. Some social media posts have depicted voters as angry about the tax levy increase and have advocated a no vote on May 17. How do you reply to that?

“I want to say that this is not new territory for me. I recognize the challenges of building a school budget. I stand by my teeter-totter analogy and we want to have that piece there. So I would respond to that, we are conscientious of that, our board is very conscientious of that. But our board is also very conscientious of having to address the needs of our students, and ensuring we have staff and programs in place to support their needs. As I said at the board meeting last week, try to imagine a school without the (nonmandated programs). We don't have to have marching band, we don't have to have football. We want those things; those things are important.”

“So we have to balance those pieces out; it certainly ties into the social-emotional learning needs. So I would say it's a balancing act. And it's a partnership, and we recognize that. There's a task that was put in place for a reason. We recognize that, we respect that. We recognize the challenges that go into that. But we also have an obligation.”

I have neighbors that recognize the balance. And as a matter of fact, I had a conversation with one of my neighbors ... and she wanted to make sure we're still going to have good things for kids. So there's that side of it too. That's the teeter-totter," he said. "That's what I wrote in my newsletter. It's a balancing act and a partnership."

Looking ahead ...
What are your goals moving into 2023?

"We're going to announce a strategic plan in July. So Dr. Cory has been facilitating that process, we recommit the team, we're going to announce goals in June," he said. Each school is going to have its own goals that are aligned to pieces ... with respect to academic learning loss, social-emotional learning, and stronger professional collaboration with our teachers. We're forming shared decision-making teams at the building level ... So that's ongoing, I'm really excited about that, and really excited to have the opportunity to finish up this year. And then we're going to have some intense goal planning sessions this summer."

While Smith has always been proud of the district’s graduation rates — currently at 92 percent — he said there’s something equally important to leaving school with a diploma. He wants to know that students are going to look outside of themselves, be analytical thinkers and discerning readers that go beyond Facebook posts and article headlines before deciding on an issue.

"Two things that I want them to be able to do," he said. "Think critically and be good citizens."

Top photo: Batavia City Schools Superintendent Jason Smith shows some of the items he has collected and keeps in his office. Photo by Joanne Beck. Photo above was taken by Smith in his backyard.

Agenda items including a renewal of five additional seasonal sheriff’s deputies, a budget amendment for additional law enforcement patrols in the village of Bergen and revising language for a prisoner housing contract with Wyoming County are on tap for this afternoon’s Genesee County Public Services Committee meeting.

The meeting is set for 4:30 p.m. in the Legislative Conference Room of the Old Court House at 7 Main St., Batavia.

Other agenda items include reviews of a bid award for highway/tractor equipment, grant acceptance of a countywide water/intermunicipal grant, a 2022 budget amendment for highway construction and the reappointment of Highway Superintendent Timothy Hens.

Press release:

Six students from Batavia High School are set to compete for the title of “Mr. Batavia” at the 9th annual competition being held on Friday, May 20, at 7 pm in the Batavia High School Auditorium. 

The students compete in multiple rounds of the event, and all money raised from ticket sales and donations is given to the top three winners’ charities. Since 2013, the annual event has raised $28,822 for local organizations.  

This year’s contestants are: 

• Jack Bruggman representing Crossroads House
• Noah Burke representing the Juvenile Arthritis Foundation
• Nicholas Grover representing Habitat for Humanity
• Andrew Kasmarek representing Genesee Cancer Assistance
• Lucas Radley representing the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of WNY
• Matt Smith representing the Michael Napoleon Foundation

Tickets are $10 each and will be sold to students during school lunch the week of May 16 and at the door for the community. 

BCSD would like to thank the Batavia City School Foundation for their help and support in collecting and distributing funds to the local organizations. Additional thanks to: Charles Men’s Shop, Extreme Streetwear, Beverly's Florist and Gift Shop, Main Street Pizza, Blink of an Eye Photography, Steve Ognibene Photography, and participating charities for their continued support of the community.

Eight children had their first communion today at Resurrection Parish.

Photo submitted by Jason Smith.

Jason Smith submitted this photo of male and female grosbeaks at his backyard feeder in Batavia.

The Blue Devils jumped to an early lead; Notre Dame came charging back but could never pull ahead, leading to a 10-9 victory and the 2022 Rotary Tournament trophy at Dwyer Stadium on Saturday night.

The Fighting Irish were down 8-0 after 2 1/2 frames, then scored two runs in the third, five in the fourth (after Batavia tacked on two more in each of their half of the middle innings to reach 10 runs), one in the fifth, and one in the seventh.

Vincent Graziolplene and Mekhi Fortes each picked up two hits for Batavia. Graziolplene also had two RBIs as did Dan Dombrowski.  Cole Grazioplene scored three runs and Fortes scored twice.

Jesse Reinhart tossed 3 2/3 innings, giving up three hits and seven runs (four earned) and striking out five to pick up the win. 

For Notre Dame, Jay Antinore had three hits and scored twice. Vincent DiRisio was 1-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Gavin Schrader scored two runs and had a hit.  Ryan Fitzpatrick scored twice.

Fitzpatrick was the starting pitcher for Notre Dame and took the loss, giving up four hits and seven runs (three earned). 

Photos by Pete Welker

Vince Grazioplene was selected tournament MVP.

All of the occupants of a residence at 29 Montclair Ave., Batavia, safely escaped a house fire that was reported at 8:53 p.m., Friday.

City Fire responded to the structure fire and upon arrival found a large volume of fire from the front to the two-and-a-half story, single-family home.

Fire crews knocked down the bulk of the fire and entered the home to find fire on the first and second floors and extending into the attic, according to Interim Fire Chief Daniel Herberger. 

Crews were initially hampered by downed power lines and difficult access to the rear of the house.

Several occupants were home at the time the fire was reported, Herberger said.  None were injured.

The American Red Cross is assisting one resident.

 

A firefighter was transported to UMMC by fire department personnel with heat exhaustion.

City Fire and Batavia PD are conducting a joint investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

City Water, Town of Batavia Fire, Alexander Fire, Elba Fire, Emergency Dispatch, National Grid, and National Fuel all assisted in the operation.

Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.

25 North Pointe Drive, Batavia. This tasteful townhome has been completely redone (2018-19) and no expense spared. This home welcomes you with a skylit entry and stylish finishes. Uniformed light flooring carries you through to a dining & living space with high vaulted ceilings, generous lighting for any mood and a quaint enclosed sunroom. The gem of the home has a timeless white kitchen boasting with ample cabinetry, beautifully unique diamond backsplash, quartz countertops & wide floor tiles. The same pleasing design is carried through the main bath. The perfectly private master En-suite encompasses a broad vanity, ageless backsplash, dual sinks, abundant natural lighting, and walk-in closet storage. This home was also designed to be energy efficient with LED lighting, LG kitchen appliance suite and Samsung washer and dryer units. This one is truly a move-in ready home and you can relax on your back patio while all of the exterior maintenance is done for you! Call Sabrina McGinnis today! Click here for more information on this listing.

Press release:

Nominations are being accepted for the 2022 BCSD Foundation, Inc. Scholarship.   This scholarship will be awarded to a graduating Senior from Batavia High School.  The nominee has been successful in their educational program and has sought out skills to further their career.  In addition, they exemplify our Batavia school culture and climate of “Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be Connected and Be Ambitious.”

Any local community member may nominate a Batavia HS Senior who meets the above criteria.  Nomination forms are available on the Batavia City School District website, https://www.bataviacsd.org/page/bcsd-foundation. You may complete the Google Form or the pdf document to nominate a deserving Senior.  All nominations need to be received by May 27, 2022.

A copy of the nomination form is attached to this press release.                 

Press release:

The Genesee County Health Department will be hosting a FREE drive-thru anti-rabies immunization clinic on Thursday, May 19th, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street, Batavia).

“We encourage all residents to take advantage of this opportunity to make sure that their animals are immunized against rabies and that the vaccinations are kept up to date,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “Rabies is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. Please leave wildlife alone and do not feed, touch, or adopt wild animals (including baby wild animals), stray dogs or cats.”

Vaccinations are free for dogs, cats and ferrets, but voluntary donations are accepted. Animals must be at least 3 months old. Each animal must be leashed or crated and accompanied by an adult who can control the animal—limit 4 pets per car maximum.

To save you time, please click here to fill out your registration form in advance. Be sure to print out two copies for each pet to be vaccinated and bring them with you to the clinic.

The next anti-rabies immunization clinics are as follows:

• Genesee County Clinics at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street, Batavia, NY)
  • Thursday, August 11th, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, September 15th, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, October 13th, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Orleans County Clinics at the Orleans County Fairgrounds (12690 Rt. 31, Albion, NY)
  • Saturday, June 4th, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, August 13th, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, October 15th, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

For more information on Health Department services, visit GOHealthNY.org or call 589-3278 for Orleans County or 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 for Genesee County.

Video submitted by Jason Smith, along with the photo of the female grosbeak below.

It would be nice to say, "come rain or shine" there will be baseball at Dwyer Stadium this weekend.

But Batavia Rotary Club's annual baseball tournament has never had that luxury. If there's rain on Saturday, there is no tournament.

The inaugural tournament was in 1999, and on the intervening 23 years, there have been 18 tournaments played.  Three years were lost to rain and two to COVID.

"The reason the rain-out happens is that it's so late in the season for these teams, and they have sectionals, and they have to qualify to have enough games in for sectionals, so it's been almost impossible to have a rain date for the tournament," said Tom Turnbull, tournament organizer of Rotary since 2004. "So if it doesn't get played on Saturday, chances are it won't be played at all."

The good news is, there is only a chance of scattered rain on Saturday.  Turnbull expects all four games scheduled that day to be played.

The first game is at 10 a.m. and pits Le Roy (9-4) against Notre Dame (11-0).  At 1 p.m., Attica (7-4) takes on Batavia (8-6). The consolation game is at 4 p.m. and the championship game is 7 p.m.

"The teams that are playing are all very good teams," said Notre Dame Coach Rick Rapone. "They've all got very good records. They all play baseball the right way and the way you're supposed to play. And most importantly, it's good to just be back doing it. The two years with COVID had been very, very, very tough on the boys."

All four coaches told Rotary members on Wednesday that their players were excited about the tournament. 

"It's exciting to play at the Dwyer facility to play against the teams that are there," said Attica Coach Shawn Fromwiller. "Good competition only gets you better. It only gets us ready for sectionals playing against the teams that are in a tournament. I know the guys are excited about it. They've been asking, 'what time are we playing? And who are we playing?'"

Le Roy's head coach, Leon Koukides, thinks so highly of the tournament that he wrote a letter to Rotary asking that his team be invited this year.

"I really wanted to be a part of this," Koukides said. "We've not been able to be a part of it for many years, and I just wanted to give my athletes an opportunity to be in this forum, to play at Dwyer Stadium and get recognized by some of the other community members."

James Patric played in the first two tournament games in 1999 and 2000 as a member of The Batavia Squad.  Now he's the team's head coach, and between coaching in Oakfield and in Batavia, he's been a part of the tournament every year except 2001, 02, 03, and 04.

"It's a great tournament, great competition," he said. "It's always exciting."

Top Photo: Ty Strollo, Le Roy, Jesse Reinhart, Batavia, Gavin Schrader, Notre Dame, and Dan Bialek, Batavia.

Photos by Howard Owens

All of the seniors from the four teams that attended the Rotary meeting.

 

 If you have always wanted to operate an ice rink, you have until May 20 to submit your intent to file a request for proposal to City Manager Rachael Tabelski, she says.

Tabelski announced the move Wednesday night to secure a new agreement for leasing the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena. Former management company Firland Management, which took over the ice arena in 2006, has opted to cease operations of the Evans Street site as of May 31.

“Over the last year, the City has hosted Ice Rink Meetings with a group of community leaders representing the aforementioned hockey programs, Friends of the Rink, and the current operators.  These meetings have been helpful in creating the vision and strategy that the City seeks for the rink moving forward,” Tabelski said in a press release. “City Council has committed funds sponsoring a capital project to address the locker rooms and City staff is pursuing grants (to) make needed infrastructure investments.  The City looks forward to partnering with a professional operator to bring recreation opportunities to the City, and thanks (to) Firland and all of their employees for their work over the years.”

The city would like RFPs to be for no less than five years, and further details for proposals are below.

Opened in 1978, the Batavia Ice Rink consists of a single sheet of ice (200’ x 85’) with a capacity for 480 fans to attend games.  The ice rink has a warming room, locker rooms, and a refreshment stand.

The rink is located just outside of the downtown district and in the Creek Park redevelopment area.  The Ice Arena is a prime spot for fall and winter recreation in the City of Batavia, Tabelski said. “The arena is home to the Genesee Amateur Hockey Association (GAHA), Batavia Men's Hockey League (BMHL), and Batavia/Notre Dame High School hockey program.

The City of Batavia anticipates that the prospective operator will be able to be profitable while running the rink and will enter into an operation and lease agreement, she said.

RFP Responses shall be no more than 20 pages in length and contain the following:

1.      Corporate Structure/Respondent Information- Organization name, description, address, and form of entity (C Corp, S Corp, Partnership, LLC., LLP., Sole Proprietorship, Not for Profit). 

2.      Respondent Resumes- Organization employees and biographies describing the structure you envision to carry out operations at the rink (manager, scheduling, maintenance, promotions, concessions, etc.).  Include an organizational chart.

3.      Primary Contact- provide contact information (address, phone and email) for the primary contact for this proposal.

4.      Executive Summary- provide an executive summary to explain how you will operate the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena, what your organization will do to enhance the level of participation, and focus on revenue streams.

5.      Value Statement- describe how your organization will enhance the rink and bring value to the City of Batavia and City residents.

6.      Experience- provide details regarding experience/resume of staff/potential staff with ice rink operations and/or a general statement of experience running recreational, retail, or commercial operations.

7.      Proof of Insurance- respondents shall provide proof of insurance at the time of agreement execution.

8.      Proof of Financing- respondents shall provide a written description of how they will finance the operations of the rink examples include private capital, secured loan, bridge loan, and line of credit.  A proforma financial statement shall be provided with the response. 

9.      Budget- create a five-year budget plan and incorporate your projected operating expenses, projected revenue, projected net income, and lease rate (suggested lease rate to the City of Batavia and planned capital investment fund expenses are listed). 

Capital Investment Fund expenses are $5,000 suggested lease for Year 2022-23 with $0 suggested capital contribution; $10,000 for Year 2023-24 with a $10,000 suggested contribution; $20,000 for 2024-25 and $15,000 contribution; $25,000 for 2025-26 snf $18,000 contribution; and $25,000 lease for 2026-27 with $20,000 capital contribution.

Prospective operators should heed the important dates below, Tabelski said:

1.  May 20 – Interested respondents are encouraged to indicate your intent to respond to this RFP to Rachael J. Tabelski, City Manager, and City of Batavia by May 20. 
2. May 23 to May 27 – Interested respondents will be scheduled for Zoom or in-person meetings to review the prior financials, prior usage by major tenants, as well as tours of the rink as requested. 
3. May 31- Addendum, if any, will be issued to all respondents who have signed up with the City Manager.
4. June 10 - RFP’s are due on Tuesday, June 10 at 4:30 p.m. Four written copies of the proposal must be received at the City Manager’s Office by the deadline, and one emailed copy must be provided. 
5. July 11 - Final Selection will be made on or around  July 11. 

Arc GLOW is apparently set to sell its garbage collection and recycling business to Casella Waste Systems.

The Arc board has not yet approved the transaction, and the terms of the sale are not available.

The Batavian made multiple attempts to reach Martin Miskell, the CEO of Arc GLOW, for comment. 

Joseph Fusco, a vice president with Casella, said, "We don't comment on rumors or reports of rumors." 

Casella is a publicly-traded company, and Security and Exchange Commission regulations can prevent people with direct knowledge of acquisitions and mergers from discussing such transactions. There may also be non-disclosure agreements in place.

The Batavian spoke with multiple Arc-connected sources about the sale of the trash business to confirm that a deal is in the works.

According to a source, Arc GLOW listed the business for sale some time ago and fielded multiple offers before settling on Casella.

Arc of Genesee (which merged this year into Arc of Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties) was the exclusive garbage collection service for the City of Batavia for nearly 30 years until in 2013, when the City Council agreed to allow, or require, city residents to contract individually for waste and recycling collection.

According to sources, Arc has lost money on its trash and recycling business for several years.

Arc provides services, including multiple employment opportunities, for people with disabilities.

One source said Arc employees are worried that Arc clients employed by the trash business will lose their jobs once the transaction is final.

"There are multiple people in the trash/recycling (business) worried about losing their jobs," the source said. "Arc is supposed to be an inclusive employer with the goal of servicing the community."

Fusco was given an opportunity to address that concern during a phone interview and declined.

The source also said employees have other worries:

• Loss of the drive-in recycling service for recycling and redemption; and
• Employees who receive trash and recycling services from Arc will lose their discount.

There's no information available on when the Arc board might be asked to approve the deal or when the sale might be final.

Casella acquired two local trash haulers in 2019, Trash Away and PSI Disposal.

Waste Management is the other trash hauler with a significant presence in Genesee County.

Top photo: File photo of Arc garbage collection from 2013.

Photos by Howard Owens

The Arc Recycling Center, 3785 West Main Street Road, Batavia.

File photo.  Interior of the recycling center.

File photo: Protest at City Hall in 2013 over the proposal to end the trash contract with Genesee Arc.

File photo: A packed City Council chamber for a discussion in 2013 of the Arc contract.

Press release:

The new UR Medicine Batavia Campus will open its doors to patients on May 16, strengthening the health system’s commitment to increasing specialist and primary care access for patients in Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. 

“The Batavia Campus represents an important investment in meeting the health care needs of the regional communities we serve by providing access to providers and services close to home,” said Steve Goldstein, M.H.A., president and CEO of Strong Memorial Hospital. “Bringing primary and specialty clinics under one roof will enable UR Medicine providers to better coordinate care for their patients and provide a direct connection to UR Medicine’s advanced care network.”

The new 24,455 square foot medical campus – located at 7995 Call Parkway – will centralize specialty clinics and primary care into one location and on-site lab services, making care more convenient for patients.  The building will be home to adult and pediatric allergy/immunology, neurosurgery, oncology, otolaryngology and audiology, and urology clinics, and UR Medicine’s Batavia-based primary care practice.  Additional services will be added over the next 12 months. 

UR Medicine Radiation Oncology will remain in its current Bank Street location.  Eric Wu, M.D., and the Batavia Ophthalmology practice are joining UR Medicine and will move to the Flaum Eye Institute’s location on Liberty Street on June 1, which will be expanded into space formerly occupied by primary care.

The Batavia campus, which will operate as an outpatient clinic under Strong Memorial Hospital, will continue UR Medicine’s practice of staffing specialty clinics with providers who are either locally based or consistently practice in the community, allowing patients to maintain a consistent relationship with the same providers. Even if a patient needs to travel to Strong West in Brockport or Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for surgery, their pre-and post-operative consultations can often be conducted via telemedicine from their home or the Batavia offices, making the experience easier and more convenient for patients and their families.

“Almost 30 years ago, I started seeing patients out in Batavia and it has been an incredibly rewarding experience to serve the patients of that community,” said Webster Pilcher, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the UR Medicine Department of Neurosurgery.  “It is often difficult for patients to negotiate a complex care system, especially if that means traveling to Rochester.  By bringing that care to them and simplifying the relationship between our patients and primary and specialized care, we can access world-class care, right in their community.”

Since 1993, Pilcher has practiced in Batavia, treating patients in conjunction with their primary care doctors and providing continuing medical education programs for physicians across the area. In the ensuing years. UR Medicine has added specialty clinics in Batavia for patients who need cancer care, urology, ENT and audiology services, and dermatology. Golisano Children's Hospital also has offered pediatric subspecialty consultations.

UR Medicine consists of six hospitals located throughout the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions – Strong Memorial, Highland, F.F. Thompson, Noyes Memorial, Jones Memorial, and St. James hospitals – as well as Golisano Children’s Hospital, James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, UR Medicine Home Care, the Highlands at Pittsford and Highlands at Brighton, 11 urgent care centers, and an extensive primary care network.

Photo by Howard Owens

Press release:

Sponsors, led by businesses that have made hands-on impressions with hundreds of students, are stepping up to bring career exploration to GLOW With Your Hands.

Genesee Construction, LandPro Equipment, and National Grid will be platinum sponsors for GLOW With Your Hands 2022, which is coming back to the Genesee County Fairgrounds in Batavia on September 27th, 2022.

Launched in 2019, GLOW with Your Hands conducted the first hands-on career exploration event in which over 800 middle and high school students from 25 school districts in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties learn about high-growth and high-demand career opportunities in agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and the skilled trades among others.

“GLOW With Your Hands introduces students to careers that provide good-paying jobs with excellent benefits and opportunities for growth that do not require 4 years of college and the expense of tuition that goes along with that,” said GCEDC Vice President of Business and Workforce Development, Chris Suozzi. “The bottom line is that dynamic and growing companies in the GLOW region need skilled workers now. Sponsors like Genesee Construction, LandPro Equipment, and National Grid have recognized this and make investments that improve students’ awareness and readiness in our region.”

As of May 10, GLOW With Your Hands 2022 has received sponsorships from 20 manufacturing, skilled trades, agriculture, and food and beverage companies across the GLOW region. A complete list of 2022 and past sponsors is available at GLOWWithYourHands.com/sponsors.

“Our sponsors are one of the main reasons we have seen so much success and interest with GLOW With Your Hands these past few years,” said GLOW Workforce Development Board Executive Director Jay Lazarony. “It is important for our students to be exposed to companies that offer career opportunities in their backyard rather than thinking they have to move somewhere else for a career opportunity.”

Hundreds of students will once again experience hands-on activities and demonstrations to enhance their understanding and interest in careers at companies within the GLOW region. Exhibits and workplace simulations will include demonstrations of mechatronics, welding, bricklaying, electrical lineman work and others. Students will be able to learn about careers in food packaging, veterinary sciences, animal nutrition and commercial trucking.

“We want GLOW students to embrace and learn about their career options before graduating from high school. Our corporate partners provide these students a chance to experience a trade or skill they have not encountered before,” Suozzi continued.

For more information about GLOW With Your Hands, including volunteer opportunities and event details, visit GLOWWithYourHands.com.

Press release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is hosting a free “spring cleaning” giveaway event on Tuesday, May 24, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in front of the building at 5073 Clinton St. Clothing, food, household items, personal care items, toys and much more will be available to the community for free.

There is no need to pre-register for the event. In addition, several agencies and organizations will be available as a resource to the community. These organizations include Catholic Charities, Childcare Resource and Referral, CORE Learning Center, Eagle Star Housing, Fidelis Care, Food for All, Genesee ACE Employment, Genesee County Health Department, GLOW Out, Horizon Health Services, Job Development, Tobacco Free GLOW, YWCA of Genesee County.

Donations in good condition will be accepted for drop-offs at 5073 Clinton Street Road until Thursday, May 19th. Unfortunately, due to limited storage capacity, larger items such as furniture can not be accepted at this time. Please call 585-343-7798 to schedule your donation or if you have any questions about the event.

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and has served low-income and disadvantaged families for over forty years. Community Action programs are designed to empower as well as provide opportunities to those who are not yet self-sufficient. 

Kimberly A. Brodsky, 30, of Rochester, is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Brodsky was arrested on a warrant issued in connection with an incident reported on April 13. Brodsky is accused of using another person's car without consent. Rochester Probation located and turned over Brodsky to the Batavia Police Department for processing. She was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released under supervision to reappear on May 25. The incident was investigated by Officer CJ Lindsay and Officer Nicole McGinnis with the assistance of Monroe County Probation.

Ronald E. Brown, 63, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of harassment 2nd. It is alleged that Brown spit at an individual and threatened to kill another individual. He was arraigned in City Court and released to appear on May 19 for further proceedings. Officer Peter Flanagan investigated the incident.

Rufus G. Johnson, 28, of North Chili, is charged with failure to appear on a larceny charge in March of 2022. A warrant was issued for his arrest. He was arraigned in City Court and released pending a new court appearance date. Officer John Gombos investigated the incident.

John W. Murphy, 49, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with DWAI/Drugs following a traffic stop on May 7. Murphy is accused of refusing to submit to a chemical test. He was arraigned in City Court and scheduled to reappear at a later date. The incident was investigated by Officer John Gombos and Officer Kevin DeFelice.

Loretta L. Baer, 50, of Wood Street, Batavia, is charged with failure to appear on a pending harassment charge. She was arraigned in City Court and released. The incident was investigated by Officer Wesley Rissinger and Officer Stephen Quider.

Brian M. Raphael, 34, of Fisher Park, Batavia, was arrested on April 3 on a bench warrant for the charge of petit larceny related to an incident reported in March 2022. Raphael is accused of failure to appear. He was arraigned in City Court on the warrant and released. The incident was investigated by Officer Peter Post.

Jessica L. Holtz, 38, of Williams Street, Batavia, was arrested on May 1 on two bench warrants issued by Batavia City Court for alleged failure to appear on two charges of petit larceny. She was arraigned and released. The incidents were investigated by Officer CJ Lindsay, Officer Wesley Rissinger and Officer Stephen Smith.

Press release

The Batavia City School District is proud to announce that Batavia High School has earned high national and metro-area rankings on the 2022 Best High Schools list from U.S. News and World Report.

Batavia High School earned a national ranking in the top 40% of U.S.-based public high schools out of nearly 18,000 schools. Batavia High School also ranks in the top 50% of public high schools in New York State and has a 92% average graduation rate (2017-2021). 

“It’s wonderful to see Batavia High School get national recognition for the exceptional education we aim to provide,” said Superintendent Jason Smith. “I’m proud of Mr. Kesler, our faculty, and students for their efforts—keep up the good work!” 

“It’s an honor to be recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation’s ‘Best High Schools,’” said Principal Paul Kesler. “While we’ll be proud to display this award in our halls at the high school, I hope our faculty and students use it as inspiration to strive for even more.” 

Batavia High School previously received this honor in 2014.

According to U.S. News and World Report, “The 2022 edition of Best High Schools includes a numerical ranking of nearly all public high schools nationwide. There are rankings within each state and within each census-designated metropolitan area that has three or more high schools and the Best STEM Schools ranking and comprehensive Best Charter Schools and Best Magnet Schools rankings. Also published are rankings of high schools within each school district with three or more high schools.”

There’s so much happening in downtown Batavia, Shannon Maute says, that she needs to start her own podcast to discuss it all.

Maute, the Business Improvement District’s executive director, is eager to share ideas she and the BID Promotions Committee have been kicking around lately. She wants to provide a venue for them to mull suggestions and figure some things out for downtown’s ongoing success.

“We hope to have it ready to go by mid-June. We are open to anyone coming on. We want to hear from everyone who has an idea, or a thought, and I’ll even take suggestions,” she said to The Batavian. “We will discuss our events, our plans for downtown and promote businesses as well as individuals. We want to have fun with it and get Batavia involved. If we can solve some issues along the way that would be fantastic.”

She teased that the group has some ideas “ready to go,” but you will have to “listen to find out what they are.” Maute plans to promote the podcast in the near future.

Extra nights of music ...
One idea will be implemented beginning in July. Since concerts on Friday nights have had such a positive result, BID members have decided to bring on some Thursday nights as well.  Concerts on Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. are scheduled for June 30, July 28 and August 25 at Jackson Square. Musical groups are yet to be announced for those.

The Downtown Batavia Friday Night Concert Series is to kick off with Old Hippies on July 1, Skycats on July 8, Don Newcomb Band on July 15, Ohmes Band July 22, Creek Bend July 29, Ghost Riders on Aug. 5, The Bluesway Band on August 12 and capped off with Mitty and The Followers on Aug. 26. These concerts are all free and are set for 7 to 9 p.m.

An inaugural Italian Fest has been scheduled for August 6, complete with a strolling accordion player, pasta, cannoli and other Italian treats, decorations and a Mediterranean vibe, Maute said.

New faces on BID board ...
She is excited about a resurgence in community gatherings and about some new faces on the BID Board. Derek Geib has been elected president of the board, with fellow businessman John Roche as vice president; and Carrie Lawrence and Shelly Wolanske are new board members.

Maute recently shared how the intrusion of COVID-19 changed her priorities.

“Two years to reflect is a long time, but I learned what is important, and what is important to me is my family, friends and my community,” she said during the annual BID breakfast. “I am so proud to live in this cute little city with a very big heart.”

Awards were given to “the amazing” Gavin Townsend for Volunteer of the Year, and Business of the Year went to “the outstanding Islands Hawaiian Grill.”

“They earned those awards with all their hard work, commitment, and positive attitude, as well as their great love for our community,” Maute said.

Special awards were given to Beth Kemp and Leanna DiRisio for Volunteer of the Decade.

With incoming president Derek Geib, former president Don Brown was acknowledged for his sage and consistent advice and for being a great help to Maute, she said.

“I am pretty lucky to work with such a great board. Each and every one of them brings something great to the table,” she said.

Top photos: Shannon Maute, executive director of Batavia Business Improvement District; and new BID President Derek Geib, left, and Vice President John Roche.

Photos by Howard Owens. 

Award recipients Gavin Townsend for Volunteer of the Year

Kourtney Kunichika, owner of Islands Hawaiian Grill for Business of the Year.