Stories from

Press release:

Girl Scouts of Western New York (GSWNY) will host a 12-hour membership drive called the Girl Scout Join-a-thon and offer unique incentives to both adults and girls who register on Wednesday, Jan. 15, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Throughout the day, GSWNY will take on-the-spot registrations over the phone and in-person registrations during our normal business hours.

Adults must be 18 years of age or older to volunteer and girls must be in grades K-12 to join. In addition, Girl Scouts is sending out a special invite for girls in grades K-1 to join as Daisy Girl Scouts.

The first 50 to join will receive an exclusive Join-a-thon patch and all those who register during the Join-a-Thon will have a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card, a year’s supply of Girl Scout cookies, or a $25 Amazon Gift Card when they call 1.888.837.6410 or visit a GSWNY Service Center in person.

New this year is our FREE Slime, Cocoa & Cookies event for new girls to make slime, enjoy delicious Girl Scout cookies and hot chocolate, have a chance to win prizes, and learn about the Girl Scout experience. Girls must be accompanied by an adult to attend. The event will take place during the Girl Scout Join-a-thon from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15,  at Girl Scouts of Western New York’s Service Centers.

The GSWNY Batavia Service Center is located at 5 Jackson St., Batavia.

The Alabama-Oakfield Senior Luncheon Group -- whose motto is "We've Only Just Begun" -- has moved to a larger facility in order to accommodate more attendees!

The next luncheon will be held from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at the South Alabama Fire Hall, located at 2230 Judge Road (Route 63) in Oakfield.

Please use the large FRONT ENTRANCE and go directly to the dining room.

All are welcome to attend and bring a favorite dish to pass. Enjoy lunch and an afternoon of fun with friends!

For more information, contact LaNora Thompson at (585) 250-4205 or Michael Hamm at (585) 734-5921.

In case of snowstorm closure: directives are the same as for Oakfield-Alabama Central School; listen to WBTA AM 1490 / FM 100.1.

Press release:

Garden Talk returns to the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Batavia on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 12:15 p.m. with a “trip” to the lovely Butchart Gardens. Take a break from winter to enjoy Vancouver Island’s “Vision of Beauty.”

The Butchart Gardens is a flowering oasis, a 100-plus years in the making. Come see how one woman’s vision came to be. A National Historic Site of Canada, the Butchart Gardens are world renowned.

All Garden Talk programs run on the first Thursday of the month from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. Bring your lunch to the Cornell Cooperative Extension office (420 E. Main St.) and join us. This free series is open to the public. Registration is not required.

Other upcoming Garden Talk topics are:

March 5 – “Soil Blocking for Seed Starting.” Come and learn about an indoor seed-starting technique called soil-blocking. This unique method allows gardeners to produce twice as many vigorous seedlings in about half the space of traditional seed starting methods. The seedlings grow in a free-standing block of growing medium. That’s right no containers! The space between these blocks “air prunes” the roots, so plants do not become root bound and are also easier to transplant.

April 2 – “Get your Garden Ready for Spring.” Need some help getting your garden ready for a spring and summer of beauty and color? Let us help you start your gardens right this season. Whether bulbs, annuals or existing perennials, one can minimize weeds, change locations of plants, or prep a spot for a brand new garden.

May 7 – “Common Garden Mistakes.” Let’s face it, we’ve all been there. Even Master Gardeners make mistakes and kill plants! If you have questions about proper watering techniques, fertilizing or soil preparation this talk is for you.

June 4 – “Spotted Lantern Fly.” This pretty bug has been in the news, but not for its good looks. Spotted Lantern Fly is the latest invasive pest from Asia that is causing concern to farmers and homeowners alike. Learn how to identify the eggs, nymphs and adults.

Future topics and other Master Gardener events will be posted on the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County website at http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/.

From the county Highway Department:

Please be advised that North Road in the Town of Le Roy will be closed to traffic between Route 19 and Conlon Road on Monday (Jan. 13), Tuesday (Jan. 14) and Wednesday (Jan. 15) for the installation of a water transmission main line across the roadway.

The roadway will be COMPLETELY CLOSED TO ALL TRAFFIC -- including emergency vehicles. A detour will be posted during this time.

Press release:

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today urged leading technology companies that produce GPS applications to add data on all 5,358 New York State at-grade rail crossings into their programs without further delay. 

Writing to the chief  executive officers of the 10 most common GPS manufacturers that still have yet to implement the changes, Schumer explained that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in 2016, recommended that these corporations, which include Google, INRIX, HERE Technologies, MapQuest, Omnitracs, OpenStreetMap US, Sensys Networks, Streetlight Data, Teletrac Navman, and United Parcel Service of America, include this information on at-grade rail crossings in their navigation systems.

The push for the added data follows a tragic accident in California that took the life of an engineer and injured 32 others. Since then, in New York State alone, between 2017 and 2019, there were 12 deaths and 44 injuries from at-grade rail crossing crashes.

Schumer explained that without this critical information, everyone who travels New York State, via train or automobile, is put squarely in harm’s way, and argued that given the near-universal commuter dependence on navigation applications, the GPS companies must incorporate this critical geographic data into their apps with all due haste.

“In today’s world, the use of portable GPS is a daily necessity for Upstate New York drivers to travel to and from work, to see families, to recreate, to shop and to drive almost anywhere," Senator Schumer said. "However, without data on perilous at-grade rail crossings included in these GPS applications and maps, countless drivers are left to venture blind into perilous—and potentially fatal—situations.

"That’s why today I’m urging the leading providers of portable navigation systems, from MapQuest to Google, to immediately add all 5,358 New York at-grade rail crossings—both public and private—to their systems. Even one preventable death from such an accident is one too many, and with 12 in New York alone since the NTSB first issued this vital recommendation, there is no more time to waste.”

Schumer explained that in 2015, the NTSB investigated a fatal crash in Oxnard, Calif., in which a train collided with a truck that had become lodged on the train track. The NTSB concluded that the driver, who was relying on a GPS application, misinterpreted the available audio and visual cues, causing him to turn onto the railroad tracks.

Schumer said that at the time of the crash, lights and gates at the crossing were not active because no train was approaching at the time.

Given those facts and details, NTSB recommended that navigation applications include grade crossing-related geographic data “to provide road users with additional safety cues and to reduce the likelihood of crashes at or near public or private grade crossings.”

Since the NTSB recommendation was issued, Schumer highlighted, there were 273 at-grade railroad crashes across the United States in 2017, the last year that data is available. Furthermore, in just New York State between 2017 and 2019, there were 12 deaths and 44 injuries from at-grade rail crossings.

Schumer argued that as New York State and the entire country make every effort to move towards zero traffic fatalities, even one preventable death is unacceptable, let alone 12. Schumer said without these vital safety improvements, commuters, train operators and pedestrians will continue to be at risk as they travel on roads that intersect public and private grade crossings.

In conclusion, Schumer urged the GPS companies to add all 5,358 at-grade crossings into maps and programs at once, to improve safety on New York State roads and highways and, inevitably, save precious lives.

Tanyana Williams, 28, of Batavia, was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge in Batavia Town Court on Monday, Dec. 19, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy in the fifth degree.

Williams was initially charged with: 44 counts of offering a false instrument forfiling; one count of fourth-degree grand larceny; and one count of fifth-degree conspiracy.

An investigation by the Genesee County Department of Social Services revealed Williams conspired with her father, Roy Bell Sr., to defraud the Genesee County Department of Social Services for daycare subsidy payments. The pair falsified daycare time sheets submitted to the Department of Social Services.

The pair subsequently received $1,258.04 in childcare subsidy payments to which they were not entitled.

Williams accepted the plea deal to the reduced charge of fifth-degree conspiracy and was sentenced to one-year conditional discharge, was disqualified from receiving child care subsidy payments for one year, and has made full restitution to the Genesee County Department of Social Services

Roy Bell Sr. also previously pled guilty to the fifth-degree conspiracy charge, and likewise received a one-year conditional discharge.

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

Ambrose E. Robinson Jr., of Corwin Avenue, Rochester, is charged with speeding, driving while intoxicated and refusal to take a breath test. Robinson was arrested at 1:40 a.m. on Jan. 7 following a traffic stop on West Main Street in Batavia. He was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and released on his own recognizance. He is due in Batavia City Court on Jan. 16. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Officer Peter Post.

Brad Lee Ohlson, 42, of Washington Avenue, Batavia, is charged with a probation violation. Ohlson was arrested at 5:18  p.m. on Jan. 9 on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court for allegedly violating probation (unspecified) on Alleghany Road in Pembroke. He was arraigned in Batavia Town Court on the city court warrant. He is due in Batavia City Court on Jan. 16. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jared Swimline, assisted by Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush.

Brian N. Miles, 24, of Sixth Street, Rochester, was arrested by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Jan. 7 on a bench warrant (unspecified) out of Batavia City Court. He was turned over to the custody of Batavia Police Department and arraigned in Batavia Town Court. He is due to be back in city court on Jan. 14. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens.

Press release:

Everyone knows that a student graduates with more than a degree. They've had experiences, learned lessons and often most importantly made friends and colleagues and connections that could make a difference in their futures and last a lifetime!

In support of those connections, GCC's Alumni Affairs Office is hosting a series of Alumni Mixers that reunite graduates with the connections they made at GCC, and also expand the important network of GCC graduates and colleagues. 

The next event in this series of mixers is happening at Buffalo's exciting new RiverWorks, a great place to come in from the cold and enjoy great company!

The event is FREE (cash bar), but seating is limited -- so WNY alumni are encouraged to register today by contacting the Alumni Affairs Office at alumni@genesee.edu or calling Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs Jennifer Wakefield at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6265.

In October 2019, more than 55 GCC alumni, friends and staff enjoyed the first Alumni Mixer at the SUNY Global Center in New York City. They enjoyed amazing food and conversation and heard great success stories from Stevens Cadet '13, Jermaine Cameron '09, Ana Olmeda '14 and Kento Takayama '19 who all got their start at GCC. Highlights from their moving testimonies can be seen on GCC's YouTube channel @sunygcc.

For more information, or to register to attend, email the Alumni Affairs Office at alumni@genesee.edu.

• Friday, Jan. 24, from 6 - 9 p.m. Genesee Community College Alumni Mixer at RiverWorks, 359 Ganson St., Buffalo

A comedy show to benefit four local nonprofits will be held at Ascension Parish's Slomba Hall on Friday, Feb. 28. It is located at 17 Sumner St. in Batavia.

Tickets are $50 each. VIP packages also available -- $500 for a table for eight, includes VIP seating, signage and table wine.

Paul Venier and Nick Marra are the featured performers.

Come and enjoy a fun night of laughs, heavy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. Food catered by Dibble Party House.

Registration begins at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 o'clock.

Beneficiaries of the event are: Rochester Regional Health; Batavia YMCA; Strong Memorial Spine Center; and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

Make checks payable to:

Spinal Injury Tournament

C/O Ricky Palermo

5159 Sunset Terrace

Batavia NY 14020

Questions? Contact Ricky Palermo at (585) 739-8522 or email him at:   rickypalermo24@gmail.com

About Paul Venier

Venier was born and raised in Long Island and has spent much of his time in New Jersey as he and a few of his friends started a band called STARK NAKED. In the '70s they went on to become number six on the music charts and were the forerunner for groups like Kiss and Alice Cooper. After a fun stint of touring and playing from Florida to Detroit, Canada and everywhere in between, they landed on the New Jersey shore in 1976.

Venier left the band in 1979 and started a solo career as he began a one-man show, he quickly realized that people really enjoyed his music with a very comedic fun combination that led to repeated sellouts and a well-known restaurant in Lafayette, N.J., called Ye Olde School inn. He has opened for and performed with some of the best comedians and musicians in the world, like Phyllis Diller, Don Rickles, Howie Mandell, Cheap Trick, Jethro Tull, Jay Leno, Soupy Sales, Paul Reiser, etc.

He is currently working on acting again and has just released a CD called “BETTER LATE THAN NEVER” with his serious music. You can find his CD on www.comedytornado.com.

About Nick Marra

Nick Marra is from Syracuse and has been entertaining crowds with his down-to-earth company for more than 20 years. Drawing on his experiences from growing up in an Italian Catholic home, to his current family comprised of two sons in their 20s and a daughter (17 years later), audiences easily relate to his quirky observations.

Once again, this year, the Western New York Independent Living, Inc. Family of Agencies (WNYIL) is gathering nominations of members of the disability community who have made ongoing, significant contributions, such as support, assistance and inspiration to others.

What is different is that the accolade has been renamed the Anthony Serra Independent Citizen Award to honor WNYIL's first executive director, who passed away in September.

The winner, selected from nominations made by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 17 will be feted at the Seventh Annual “Night for Independence" Gala on Saturday May 16, at the Events at the Wurlitzer, 908 Niagara Falls Blvd., North Tonawanda.

Ideally, the nominee should meet the five core values of this award: 

• Exemplifying independence in the community, such as: by beginning a special project; by spearheading an awareness effort; or by gaining the support of decision-makers, for the benefit of others with disabilities or the general community.
• Going above and beyond what would be expected to assist others, by offering personal experience or expertise, organizing individuals around an issue, enlisting partnerships, and/or revealing self-sacrificing work.
• Remaining active in the community over an extended period, even after an initial success with an activity or major project. 
• Rejecting others’ criticism or doubt, that potentially could have deterred the individual from striving to reach and achieve personal goals. 
• Showing the world the value of one person’s actions by encouraging others to have a contributing, encouraging, and positive attitude about making the community a better place for all. 

If you are aware of an individual who has served those with disabilities, and who, you feel, would meet all these criteria, please contact Daniel Colpoys, WNYIL’s chief community engagement officer at (716) 836-0822, ext. 166; or email him with the candidate’s name, a paragraph about his/her qualifications and contact information, as well as YOUR name and contact information, to dcolpoys@wnyil.org.

Thank you for your willingness to help acknowledge deserving members of our community!

The Western New York Independent Living Inc. Family of Agencies offer an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Washington, D.C. – National Association of County Engineers (NACE) President and Genesee County (New York) Highway Superintendent Tim Hens participated in a White House event with President Donald J. Trump this morning as he introduced new permitting reforms involving the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

“We welcome reforms that will allow for local governments to address our nation’s aging infrastructure in a timely manner,” Hens said. “These reforms will aid counties in their ability to utilize federal funds for road and bridge expansion, repair and rehabilitation more efficiently and expeditiously.

"We applaud the President and Administration and look forward to working together to ensure these common-sense reforms provide a regulatory landscape that will improve project delivery times while maintaining the environmental protections important to our communities.”

This morning’s event highlighted permit and federal process areas the Administration seeks to streamline, including transportation infrastructure project parameters, which would require a federally mandated environmental review.

America’s counties own 45 percent of the nation’s road inventory and 38 percent of its bridge inventory, while investing more than $122 billion on infrastructure and maintaining and operating public works.

Hens is a 1993 graduate of the Air Force Academy and has served as Genesee County Highway superintendent since 1998. As superintendent he functions as the county engineer and oversees the operation and maintenance of all county-owned infrastructure and equipment, including roads, bridges, parks, facilities, airport and water system.

About the National Association of County Engineers

Now in its 64th year, the association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional association representing more than 2,400 county engineers, public works directors, highway commissioners, road managers, and related professionals in the United States and Canada. In the United States, local roads account for about 75 percent of highways and roads, or 2.93 million miles. Counties manage 1.74 million miles of those roads. Counties also own 231,000 bridges and operate one third of the nation’s transit systems and airports.

Photo taken of Tim Hens at a GC Public Service Committee meeting in September 2018.

Roberts Wesleyan Chorale will perform a special live concert in Batavia starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16, at the Batavia First Presbyterian Church, located at 300 E. Main St.

The public is welcome to attend this free concert entitled "Lead Kindly Light."

The Rochester-based Chorale will perform beautiful songs featuring diverse styles, cultures, eras and languages.

The following day, on Friday, the Chorale leaves on their Florida Tour.

The Chorale is Roberts Wesleyan College’s premier vocal ensemble, devoted to the study and performance of high-quality choral music. Bonded by a passion for compelling musical performance and a desire for meaningful Christian fellowship, the Chorale is an ensemble of talented singer-artists who combine their gifts to cultivate excellence in choral singing.

Adam Potter, Ph.D., is the conductor.

There is no admission fee. A free will offering will be taken.

Photo of Chorale from Roberts Wesleyan College.

A one-vehicle rollover accident with unknown injuries is reported at 6557 Townline Road in Byron. Byron and South Byron fire departments and Mercy medics are responding. The location is between Ivison and Swamp roads.