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Press release:

On Wednesday, May 16^th, the United Way of Genesee County will be hosting the 11^th Annual Day of Caring.

This year, 38 local businesses and service organizations will be volunteering at 37 project sites throughout Genesee County. In total, more than 375 volunteers will be working on service projects involving, painting, landscaping, spring cleanup and other small projects.

The event will kick-off at 8 a.m. at Dwyer Stadium, with donuts and coffee, complements of Batavia Dunkin Donuts. Following a brief ceremony that will include a presentation about the United Way Backpack program, the volunteers will head to their work sites.

The day will wrap up with a community celebration at Terry Hills Restaurant at 3 p.m. Stories will be told, volunteers will be fed and everyone can enjoy the slideshow of the day provided by Carlson’s Studios.

In total, more than 2,250 man hours will be spent making the Genesee County community a better place to live.

Some of the workplaces this year include:

Genesee County Fairgrounds – Exhibition building

ABCD Day Care on Brooklyn Avenue

Community Garden – Batavia Youth Center

Village of Elba Park

Peace Garden

Grandview Cemetery

Gillam Grant Community Center

Business Improvement District – Downtown Batavia

Press release:

EverPresent Church invites you to visit our new location at 4 Batavia City Centre, Batavia. We are excited to announce our Grand Opening Weekend on May 18-20 at the former Homestead Center also former home to Roxy’s Music Store.

EverPresent Church was founded in 2013 in the local YMCA. Not long after its beginning the church found a new home at 8 City Centre, formerly Center Stage Dance Co. Although EverPresent Church embraced its new location, we still longed for a space we could call home.

The conversation started back in 2015 with the owner of The Homestead Center but a deal wasn’t stuck until the summer of 2017.

Since our move into our new location we have been very busy settling in and making it our own. We are excited to be holding services and If you are looking for a warm friendly environment with a caring community of believers this just might be the place for you.

We are a family oriented church with great vision for you and our community. We are excited to see what God has in store for our church and anticipate great things for the future of Batavia.

If you are looking for a church and it’s been difficult to find where you fit or feel comfortable, this is the place for you! We are Real People, living Real Lives, with a Real Hope! We invite you to check it out and celebrate together as we help one another on this journey called life.

Grand Opening Weekend

• Friday, May 18^th at 5:45 p.m. -- MOVIE NIGHT showing “THE GREATEST SHOWMAN." Free popcorn and water; pop available to purchase.
• Saturday, May 19^th -- OPEN HOUSE from 2 to 5 p.m. Come by and check out the place, get some info about the church, and meet the pastors. 
• Sunday, May 20 -- SUNDAY SERVICE at 10:30 a.m. Join us for a time of worship and an encouraging message.

​We guarantee that you will experience God and His love through the people at EverPresent Church. We look forward to meeting you!

"Real People. Real Life. Real Hope!"

This Tuesday, May 15th, is Fine Arts Night at Jackson Primary from 5 to 7 p.m. for Jackson Primary families as well as the community! Come see the childrens' artwork, listen to some singing, and enjoy refreshments.

Don't feel like cooking? Local food trucks, including Center Street Smokehouse, The Red Osier Landmark Restaurant, Stafford and Froyo that will be parked behind Jackson Primary from 4-8 p.m. Jackson Primary will receive a portion of all purchases. It is sure to be a fun night!

The school is located at 411 S. Jackson St. in the City of Batavia.

While you are out and about, don't forget to vote for the 2018-2019 BCSD Budget and also for three Board of Education positions.

Voting will take place on Tuesday, May 15, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Batavia High School, 260 State St., for residents living south of Route 5 (aka Main Street); and at the Robert Morris building, 80 Union St., for residents living north of Route 5.

Press release:

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced the U.S. Senate passed critical legislation that would, for the first time ever, establish a specialized national cancer registry to be managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Schumer said the registry would improve collection capabilities and activities related to the nationwide monitoring of cancer incidence among all firefighters, both career, and volunteer. Now that U.S. Senate passed this critical legislation, Schumer is now urging the House of Representatives to pass the bill immediately.

“We owe it to our brave firefighters who are on the front lines, risking their lives to protect our communities the peace of mind of knowing that if they get sick they will be taken care of,” Senator Schumer said. “This critical legislation does just that by establishing a national firefighter cancer registry, so researchers can better track, treat – and one day – prevent the potential connections between firefighting and cancer.

"I’m glad the Senate finally passed this legislation and I strongly urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass this life-saving bill immediately.”  

According to a five-year study conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, there are twice as many firefighters in the U.S. with malignant mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, when compared to the general population. The same study also found that firefighters also have an increased risk of death from lung cancer and leukemia as compared to the general population. 

Schumer explained that firefighters are exposed to a range of harmful toxins when responding to emergency situations, often as a result of the noxious flame retardants and other chemicals that are used in everyday items, from furniture to clothing, and to even children’s toys.

Experts and scientists have repeatedly sounded the alarm on the danger of these toxic chemicals because they have been found to cause developmental delays in children from long-term exposure in addition to rare cancers in firefighters when these products burn and the toxins become airborne.

Schumer said research has indicated that there is a strong connection between firefighting and an increased risk for several major cancers, including testicular, stomach, multiple myeloma and brain cancers. However, there has never been a long-term registry put in place that could be used to track the potential connections between firefighting and incidences of cancer.

Schumer, therefore, said a national firefighter cancer registry is needed, so experts and researchers can more effectively monitor nationwide trends and incidences of cancer among firefighters – both career and volunteer. Schumer said such a registry would help medical professionals more effectively identify and treat cancer in firefighters over the long term.

Specifically, this national firefighter cancer registry would do the following:

First, this registry would compile in one place the epidemiological information submitted by healthcare professionals related to cancer incidence among firefighters.

Second, it would make anonymous data available to public health researchers so that they would have access to the comprehensive datasets that will allow them to expand this groundbreaking research.

Third, this registry would improve our understanding of cancer incidence as the registry grows, which could potentially lead to the development of advanced safety protocols and safeguards for the firefighters on the front lines each day.

Finally, this bill would allow for increased collaboration between the CDC and epidemiologists, public health experts, clinicians and firefighters through regular and consistent consultations to improve the effectiveness and accuracy of the registry.

Jacob Rosenbeck, age 7, (also in photo at bottom) and Carolyn Pratt are painting the boards that will replace a number of the beds at the community garden. Jacob has been helping at the Garden and growing vegetables there since age 2.

Submitted photos and press release:

Gardeners and volunteers will be busy this week preparing the Batavia Community Garden for Opening Day. Join us at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 19 at the garden, located in MacArthur Park in the City of Batavia (252B State St.).

There are plenty of beds and you could lease one on the spot. Not only that, there will be several Master Gardeners on hand to assist you with getting started growing your own vegetables. We use the squarefoot gardening method to plan out 4’ x 4’ ($15) and 4’x 8’ ($25) raised beds. The lease fee is for the season and the bed is filled and ready for planting on opening day.

If you want a sneak peek, take a stroll through MacArthur Park. Parking is available adjacent to the youth center. You will notice raspberries growing along the perimeter fence. Our garden shed, courtesy of Batavia Rotary houses all of our tools, books and all natural pest control remedies.

You will see a great deal of activity on Wednesday, May 16, as the garden is a United Way Day of Caring Work Site. Thirteeen of the raised beds will be replaced that day and filled with a quality, all natural growing mix. These new beds will be deeper and allow for more versatility in what can be planted. For example, carrots and beets should do nicely.

Throughout the season surplus produce is donated, in fact one or two beds will be designated exclusively for this purpose. Garden volunteers tend to donation beds and also cultivate cutting flowers for donation. Washington Towers and Crossroads House have been the primary beneficiaries, but this year the advisory board hopes to increase the reach of donations.

For more information contact the City of Batavia Youth Bureau, 12 MacArthur Drive; Phone: 345-6420.

An accident with injuries is reported on 643 Alleghany Road (Route 77). Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. Injuries are not believed to be serious. The accident is blocking traffic. The location is between Lockport and Casey roads.

UPDATE 8:57 a.m.: Minor injuries, no entrapment.

Press release:

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is hosting the 27^th annual Youth Fishing Derby on Saturday, June 2, from 9 to 11 a.m.

The derby is held during National Fishing and Boating Week at Ringneck Marsh on Iroquois NWR. Planned activities will begin at 8 a.m. and include a casting contest, migration maze game, and a fish dissection demonstration. Rods and reels will be available for children to borrow if needed.

The event is sponsored by the Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Inc. who will be providing door prizes and trophies for the anglers with the three biggest fish in each age group (7 and under, 8-12, and 13-17).

Hopefully, the weather will cooperate, but no matter what Mother Nature delivers, it’s sure to be a fun fishy day! The fishing derby and all activities are free to the public.

Please contact Refuge staff at 948-5445, ext. 7037, or visit the website at here for further information.

Iroquois NWR is located midway between Buffalo and Rochester, NY, and is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. To get to Ringneck Marsh, take Highway 63 and turn east onto Oak Orchard Ridge Road. In less than 0.5 miles, you may park in the Ringneck Marsh Overlook Parking Lot.

Individuals with disabilities and any other person who may need special assistance to participate in this program should contact the Refuge at 948-5445 or at the Federal Relay No. 1-800-877-8339.

Press release:

Like a crescendo of a year-long concerto, Genesee Community College is fine-tuning all the logistics of its 50th Commencement Ceremony scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, in the new Richard C. Call Arena (RCCA), one of the last events of its multifaceted 50th Anniversary celebration.

More than 200 students are anticipated to walk across the stage after hearing Kristina M. Johnson, Ed.D., the new Chancellor of the State University of New York give the keynote address.

In addition to this being the College's 50th Commencement celebrated in a new facility, other unique aspects of this year's event are the 44 international students that will be graduating this year; 11 of those are from the island nation of Curacao.

GCC is also delighted that 10 students from area high schools will be completing their GCC degree requirements concurrently with their high school diplomas. These 10 graduates participated in the inaugural cohort of the College's STEM Program with the Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) Office, which started back in 2012 when the students were in seventh grade.

Several other special opportunities are also going to be part of the event.

"Overall, this is a very exciting Commencement Ceremony for the College," GCC President James M. Sunser said. "So many wonderful opportunities are coming to fruition and all in the name and spirit of student success. This ceremony will be one to remember." 

The Commencement ceremony rehearsal will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 18, in the RCCA to prepare soon-to-be graduates for the procession.

Prior to the rehearsal, representatives from Carlson's Studio will be set up in Room H103 of the Call Arena to take individual graduation photographs. Graduates should be in cap and gown, and have payment for their photo package.

Graduates are encouraged to contact Carlson's Studio in advance at (585) 786-2871 or via email at carlsons@rochester.rr.com to inquire about photo packages and pricing. Families can also pre-order flowers and gifts for their graduate through this website https://www.thecommencementgroup.com/Genesee/.

Each GCC graduate received five tickets for guests to attend the ceremony inside the RCCA Fieldhouse as part of their commencement package. There are no additional tickets available.

On Commencement Sunday, guests with tickets can enter the Fieldhouse starting at 12 p.m. for general admission seating. All guests, regardless of age, will require a ticket to enter the Fieldhouse.

Additional seating for guests without tickets is available on a first come, first served basis in the Stuart Steiner Theatre where the ceremony will be broadcast on the Theatre screen. The doors of the Theatre will also open at 12 p.m.

For distant family and friends scattered around the world and unable to enjoy the event in Batavia, the entire Commencement Ceremony will be live-streamed with easy access from GCC's website or at this Web address: https://www.genesee.edu/home/event-streaming/.

Accessible seating accommodations are available in both the RCCA Fieldhouse for ticketed guests and non-ticketed guests in the Stuart Steiner Theatre. For details, please contact GCC's Office of Student Activities (585) 343-0055, ext. 6261, or via email at sa@genesee.edu before Friday, May 18, to make arrangements.

GCC's Child Care Center will be open for all graduates and guests for children from 6 weeks to 5 years of age to allow family and friends to focus on the ceremony. However, guests wishing to bring children to the commencement are required to have a ticket for each child regardless of age.

To sign up for FREE child care services, please contact Student Activities or call (585) 343-0055, ext. 6261, before Friday, May 18. The Child Care Center will open at 12 p.m. on Commencement Day.

A white male wearing a blue sweatshirt and khaki shorts fled Target on foot on Veterans Memorial Drive after a larceny in progress was reported. He was said to be by the dumpster behind Five Guys burger shop.

Law enforcement responded and he's now in custody.

He allegedly left the store with a $400 vacuum cleaner but dropped it and ran.

From Batavia PD:

Parking enforcement has been suspended for residents whose driveways are being affected by the sidewalk construction.

Affected residents may park in the street but must follow all other parking regulations (ie. parking the correct way, not parking in a no parking area, etc.) until their driveways are usable again.

Press release:

The New York State Senate has approved two new bills– introduced by Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer – as part of the most sweeping package of good government reforms proposed in years. 

“From bid-rigging scandals to corruption trials, hard-working New Yorkers are fed up with the lack of ethics in state government, and the time is now for real reforms. I am pleased that these reforms are starting to advance through the Legislature,” Ranzenhofer said.

Preventing the Appearance of “Pay-to-Play” 
S8409 limits political donations from parties applying for grants, licenses, or doing business with public entities to the public officials or candidates who would approve such grants, licenses, or contracts. Unfortunately, disclosures of significant donations by people or businesses who have received significant public contracts or licenses gives rise to public suspicion that there may be a relationship between the two occurrences, and thus to public cynicism and distrust of the process of how public bodies make decisions.

Prohibiting Certain Political Contributions by Government Appointees
S8404 prohibits appointees who are appointed by the Executive to make political contributions to the Executive or his or her political campaign. The appointees would be prohibited from making political contributions within a year of appointment, during their term, and for a year after the term ends. It also prohibits the appointee from soliciting contributions on behalf of the Executive or the Executive's campaign committee. This prohibition also applies to members in the appointee's household.

A February 2018 article in The New York Times profiled a current trend whereby Executive appointees have made political contributions to the Executive totaling nearly $900,000. An atmosphere where appointees operate under the practice of making routine political contributions to the individual appointing them to their positions leads hardworking citizens to believe that Albany is rife with a "pay-to-play" culture.

Ranzenhofer called for an end to these practices.

“Allowing these questionable practices to continue will only foster distrust and skepticism of the process in state government. Appointed officials of the Executive branch should not be permitted to make donations to the Governor's re-election campaign, and private companies should not be allowed to make campaign contributions to politicians while under consideration for state contracts. These reforms will help to end Albany's pay-to-play culture and restore the public's trust in their state government,” Ranzenhofer said.

The comprehensive legislative package incorporated additional measures to boost accountability, transparency, and prevent the misuse of taxpayer dollars. The following reform bills have passed the Senate and are on their way to the Assembly:

• Developing a Searchable Subsidy Database: S6613B requires the creation of a searchable state subsidy and economic development benefits database that would help New Yorkers and policy makers monitor the use of taxpayer money used to grow our state's economy and create jobs. The database would include the name and location of the participant; the time span of received economic development benefits; the type of benefit received; the total number of employees at all sites of a project; the number of jobs a participant is obligated to retain and create during the project; the amount of economic development benefits received for the current reporting year; and a statement of compliance indicating if any other state agency has reduced, cancelled or recaptured economic development benefits from a participant.
• Creating the New York State Procurement Integrity Act: S3984A restores the State Comptroller's independent oversight of SUNY, CUNY, and OGS centralized contracts; expands the Comptroller's oversight of the procurement process to include contracts in excess of $1 million awarded by the SUNY Research Foundation; and prohibits state contracting through state-affiliated not-for-profit (NFP) entities unless explicitly authorized in law.
• Protecting State Investments When Deals Don’t Meet Expectations: S7697A ensures that the Public Authorities Control Broad members have sufficient information to make informed decisions prior to a vote approving funding and includes disclosure of a claw-back provisions for instances when a project job creation claim doesn’t come through, the state could recoup funding. 
• Creating an Independent Budget Office: At least 23 other states– California, Texas, Florida, Connecticut and Vermont– have already established non-partisan budget offices to assist their legislatures. Accurate, up-to-date information is a key ingredient for prudent, timely budgetary and policy decisions. S2325 creates the New York State Independent Budget Office to provide objective, non-partisan analyses of state revenues, expenditures, and management practices to members of the Legislature for any legislation with fiscal impact or at the request of a leader or a committee. 
• Reforming START-UP NY: S5985A restores and bolsters reporting requirements for START-UP NY by requiring the preparation of an annual report which would be provided to the Governor and the Legislature. The report would include, but is not limited to, the number of business applicants, number of businesses approved, benefits distributed and received, and the number of net new jobs created per business– including cumulative data that reflects the amount previously recorded and adjusted for net new jobs that have been lost.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27), member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, applauded yesterday’s advancement of 25 bills out of the Committee to help combat the opioid crisis. Collins championed three of these pieces of legislation that will head to the House floor.

“The opioid epidemic is impacting every community across America and we have to take action in order to save lives,” Collins said. “We have seen far too many innocent lives lost and families torn apart because of addiction. I’m hopeful that this package of bills will help individuals get the treatment they need and give communities the resources required to stop this epidemic in its tracks.”

Collins joined fellow New Yorker, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries in introducing the Synthetic Drug Awareness Act of 2017 that would require the Surgeon General to report to Congress the public health effects of the rise of synthetic drug use by 12 to 18-year-olds. Currently, Congress does not have sufficient information to craft the unique types of public health and law enforcement approaches that could save our nation’s children from these dangerous substances. 

Collins also introduced the Eliminating Opioid Related Infectious Diseases Act of 2018 with Congressman Leonard Lance, Congressman Joseph Kennedy, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Congressman Joe Barton, and Congresswoman Doris Matsui that focuses specifically on how the opioid epidemic has contributed to an increase in infectious diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS. Increased monitoring and education will lead to a better understanding of the impacts that this crisis is having on public health.

Finally, Collins introduced legislation with Congressman Eric Paulson, Congressman Ron Kind, and Congressman Connor Lamb that would require Medicare to send an annual notice to Part D patients about the adverse effects associated with prolonged opioid use. By improving awareness and education, the Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees (CHOICE) Act will help patients be more inclined to watch for the warning signs of addiction and be more informed to talk with their doctors on their options for pain management.

The additional bills focus on helping patients receive treatment and making sure these drugs do not get into the wrong hands. The Committee has identified issues with enforcement, prevention, and coverage within Medicare, and the additional legislation provides solutions that will address these areas.

A background memo, electronic copies of the legislation, and live stream of the markup can be found online here. The Committee plans to hold a second markup on opioid legislation on Thursday, May 17.

Press release:

“How to Create a Positive Work Environment” will be the subject of a small business workshop to be hosted by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, May 16.

This is the one of a series of business workshops held in conjunction with the United States Small Business Administration and the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce. The workshops are open to all Chamber and non-Chamber businesses and their employees and will offer expert advice from experienced professionals designed to help small businesses succeed and grow.

“It is possible to have positive – and perhaps even fun – work environment in any business and this workshop is designed to show you how,” said Tom Turnbull, Chamber president.

Greg Lindberg of the Small Business Administration will conduct the workshop.

The workshop will be held at the Chamber of Commerce office, 8276 Park Road, Batavia.The session will run from 7:45 to 9:15 a.m. and includes a question-and-answer period. Cost for non-Chamber members is $10 for each attendee.

Chamber members and Batavia Business Improvement District members may attend all small business workshops free of charge but should make reservations to insure space.

To reserve a seat in any workshop or for more information, contact Kelly Bermingham at 343-7440 or by email at kbermingham@geneseeny.com.

The shooting by a deputy that resulted in the death of Keith Kent in the parking lot of the Indian Falls Log Cabin Restaurant the night of April 11 was deemed justified, the District Attorney's Office announced at a press conference this afternoon.

The Genesee County Grand Jury returned "No Bill" for Sheriff's Deputy Ryan W. Young after a thorough investigation by State Police and a complete review of the evidence by the jury, District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said.

Follow Up: All evidence pointed to justified shooting at Log Cabin, DA says after Grand Jury clears deputy

Tomorrow through Sunday, May 13, is the Grand Opening of the long-awaited Auto Wash Car Wash on West Main Street Road in the Town of Batavia.

You are invited to stop by and say hi and try out the completely refurbished car wash.

Throughout the three-day Grand Opening, all car wash package options will be half price. So the normal price range of $17 to $9 will be $8.50 to $4.50.

On Saturday, there will be free lunches served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. -- hamburgers, hot dogs and soda pop.

Plus, this Sunday only, which is Mother's Day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. all moms will be able to get a FREE basic car wash!

Look for a prize wheel and plenty of prize giveaways!

The address is 4017 W. Main Street Road. Phone is 219-4431.

Grand Opening hours of operation are Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To learn more about Auto Wash and what it offers, click here.

For The Batavian's original post on the company, click here.

File photo: Greg Farkas, Ryan Schmeer, Bobby Marchenese, and Zach Letta. Letta will manage the Batavia location.