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Press release:

The Genesee County Business/Education Alliance (BEA) announced the cancellation of all 2020 summer career exploration camps on Monday due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cancelled youth summer camps include culinary camps -- "Very Veggies Camp" and "Simply Sweets Camp," as well as "Camp Hard Hat" construction camp.

The decision to cancel summer camps was made due to the uncertainty surrounding the current and future COVID-19 situation in our region, including not knowing if/when school facilities will be permitted to reopen, and what social distancing measures will still be necessary.

Camp funding concerns also contributed to the decision to cancel all summer camps, as the BEA relies on donations from local businesses to help pay camp expenses and provide full camp scholarships for low-income students.

The Genesee County BEA has proudly provided fun and hands-on career exploration camps for local youth for more than years.

The BEA hopes to resume its full summer camp lineup in 2021 and bring back more camps like "Animal Science/Vet Camp," "Medical Camp," and "Young Dexter’s STEAM Camp (formerly MST Camp)" next summer.

For more information, visit www.BEAGenesee.com or contact Karyn Winters at: KWinters@GeneseeNY.com

The little lemon-lime-eyed minx above lives in the area of Raymond Avenue in the City of Batavia.

Her name is Clover and she's a rover, having "slipped out" under cover of darkness Saturday night.

Clover is solid black, 5 years old, petite and "very shy." She has a pink and black collar with a weensy bell dangling from it.

She is the pet of two little girls who "are devastated" by her disappearance. Their brother is not too bothered by the situation, according to Dad, because he holds no strong opinion of the feline one way or the other.

Asked about sundry details that make Clover special, Dad says she's goat-like, in that she butts her head into you robustly when she wants to be petted. And Clover is a tad obsessive-complusive about grooming, to the point of having thinned out her fur on her bottom half and her tail. 

He said she reminds him of the cartoon character "Toothless" from the DreamWorks animated film "How to Train Your Dragon."

The other cat in the household goes in and out all the time, but Clover never gave any indication she was the least bit interested in the outside world.

It is possible, Dad, we asked, that she plotted this breakout long ago and was waiting for the opportune moment? (Who was training whom?)

Dad thinks someone should come up with a Tile for finding missings pets, just like they have for missing car keys. He's sure there's a market for that. He'd buy one.

If Clover is found or spotted, please call 297-9080, or email:   bhoag@wellsvillegroup.com

Public Notice

Emergency Order #5-2020

I issue the following emergency order(s) for the period of April 27, 2020 through May 1, 2020. This order continues the following issued under Emergency Order #4, which was effective April 22, 2020.

1. All Public Parks within the City Limits of the City of Batavia, New York remain open to public use from 7 a.m. to dusk. During the times that public parks are open, State of New York declared restrictions on congregating will be observed. In addition, all playground areas, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, basketball courts, picnic pavilions, splash pads, and other park facilities that are used for activities that constitute congregating are closed to public use.

Martin D. Moore, Ph.D.

City Manager

City of Batavia

Press release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments are postponing the anti-rabies immunization clinics scheduled for May to comply with the New York State on PAUSE executive order.

Cats, dogs, and ferrets still need to be protected against rabies with a vaccine. Please call your local veterinary practice about how and when to vaccinate your pet.

New dates will be forthcoming.

• The next anti-rabies immunization clinic in Genesee County is scheduled for Aug.13th at the Genesee County Fairgrounds from 4 to 7 p.m.
• The next anti-rabies immunization clinic in Orleans County is scheduled for Aug. 15th at the town of Shelby Highway Building from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

From the Commander of the American Legion Botts-Fiorito Post #576, Le Roy:

It is with a deep sense of regret that the Commander and Post members announce the cancellation of the 2020 Annual Memorial Day Parade, originally scheduled for May 25.

Due to social uncertainty surrounding this date, it is felt that it is in the best interest of the safety and well-being of all involved to cancel the celebration at this time.

This decision did not come lightly, nor without the consideration of the involvement of so many individuals, organizations, and entertainment providers.

The Post members are developing a simple, but significant program that will serve to observe the holiday that was created to honor the many American men and women who died in military service.

We, like several other organizations in the area are taking this same action. There is just too much uncertainty and risk at this point (due to the coronavirus pandemic), and not enough confidence that to continue with the program would be in the best interest of all involved.

The New York State Department of Labor today announced that it has distributed $3.1 billion in unemployment benefits to New Yorkers since the coronavirus pandemic started impacting New York businesses in early March.

In total, more than 1.4 million New Yorkers have submitted completed applications for unemployment benefits since the crisis began, including traditional unemployment insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

“Every state is facing major challenges when it comes to unemployment, but in New York we are upgrading our systems in real time while delivering benefits to New Yorkers faster and more aggressively than any other state,” said NYS Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon.

“I’ve been unemployed myself — I know that losing your job is one of the most trying situations someone can face — and while there is more work to do, we have connected over one million New Yorkers with billions of dollars in benefits in just six weeks. We will keep working around the clock seven days a week to ensure every single New Yorker gets every single dollar they deserve."

In addition, the Department of Labor has updated and streamlined the sections of its website most frequently used by New Yorkers seeking unemployment benefits. These updated pages -- which include the DOL homepage, an explanation of how to file your claim, information on the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, and more -- are now mobile friendly and easier to read and navigate, which will help unemployed New Yorkers get the information they need faster so they can file for benefits.

Since nationwide coronavirus-related business shutdowns in early March, states across the country have faced an unprecedented increase in the number of people filing for unemployment insurance — with an extraordinary 26 million Americans now having submitted claims. Since March 9, New York State has processed 1.4 million initial applications for unemployment benefits, including 207,172 during the week ending April 18 and 399,015 the week before.

Between March 9 and April 22, New York State has distributed $3.1 billion to support New Yorkers who lost their jobs. This level of relief far outstrips what has been provided by other large states during this crisis.

The total includes traditional unemployment insurance and new federal programs like Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provides benefits for those not covered by traditional unemployment insurance; Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which provides an additional $600 per week for all benefit recipients; and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provides 13 additional weeks of benefits, for a total of 39 weeks of unemployment benefits.

Facing an unprecedented surge in unemployment claims, the Department of Labor has taken decisive action to update its system, streamline operations, and improve its capacity to serve New Yorkers. These efforts include:

• Launching a new, streamlined website backed by Google Cloud’s infrastructure, which can automatically scale to meet demand;
   
• Undertaking a major call back initiative to proactively call New Yorkers with partially-completed applications and obtain the information needed to process their claims. To date, the DOL has made more than 625,000 proactive calls;
   
• Increasing the number of Department of Labor representatives handling calls and processing applications from 400 people working five days a week to up to 3,100 individuals working seven days a week;
   
• Rolling out a streamlined online application, which allows New Yorkers to seamlessly apply for either traditional unemployment insurance or the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance in one system; and
   
• Being among the first states to release the additional $600 weekly payments to unemployed individuals — even before the federal government made funding available.

Press release:

Effective Monday, April 27, United Memorial Medical Center will resume outpatient lab services at the Jerome Center.

Jerome Center, 16 Bank St., Batavia

Monday - Friday:   6 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday: 6 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Sunday: Closed

With the latest universal masking order, don’t leave home without yours! Please wear a mask or face covering -- in addition to social distancing -- as we continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to keep our community safe, and thank you for entrusting us with your care.

For more information on COVID-19, visit online here or call 922-INFO.

Note: Lab locations in the Batavia City Center, Le Roy, and Pembroke remain temporarily closed until further notice.

Press release:

Citing an all-out explosion of unproven, untested and unregulated do-it-yourself, at-home coronavirus test kits now for sale across the internet, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer demanded, today, that the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) begin a crackdown focused on more oversight of the marketplace, ramped-up inspections and cease and desist actions against bad actors.

Schumer said a simple “Google” search on these kits now results in a bombardment of antibody and other coronavirus tests that are simply not validated for accuracy by the FDA.

“While the coronavirus itself continues to risk infecting people, varying at-home test kits for the virus’s antibodies, and even the disease itself, are now infecting the internet and the consumer marketplace," Senator Schumer said. "However, the vast, vast majority of these ‘kits’ are unproven, untested and totally unregulated by the FDA, and that’s dangerous.

"That is why I am publicly calling on the FDA to institute a crackdown on these kits now exploding across the internet. The agency (FDA) must raise the bar, move heaven and earth and stand up for consumers who are vulnerable, uncertain and anxious with all that is going on.”

Schumer said that as part of returning to normal, consumers — especially New Yorkers — could be hard hit by faulty tests that mislead an already uncertain public.

He said that the FDA must immediately move heaven and earth to ensure this emerging testing marketplace does not become riddled with shoddy at-home kits that are not backed by the FDA and the best available science. Schumer also said New Yorkers are currently purchasing these kits and that the feds must act swiftly or risk turning a pandemic into a false sense of security epidemic that hurts hot spots like New York which must rely upon testing accuracy to fully return to normal.

“The authenticity and accuracy of any at-home testing kits must be paramount at the FDA, because consumers are not only willing to buy them, but they are willing to rely upon them," Schumer added. "Shoddy tests could spell disaster for hot spot states like New York because if there is anything New York and other places will require to turn the page on this virus, it’s rooted in testing accuracy, and these unregulated kits pose serious risk to the overall recovery."

According to CNN, the “FDA has granted emergency use authorization to only four antibody tests, and there are dozens more awaiting the same authorization. The FDA has also opened a separate process for more than 100 other non-FDA approved tests to be checked for accuracy.”

Schumer says, despite this, at-home coronavirus antibody and virus test kits are for sale across the internet, seemingly unchecked.

Experts across the government have said antibody tests will likely play an important role in the reopening of the economy and the next chapter of public health. Schumer says the FDA cannot offer any regulatory flexibility to some test makers and rigidity for others.

He said the only way to ensure test kit standards are rooted in science and accuracy is to ramp up oversight, inspections and cease and desist actions before unproven products risk turning a pandemic into a false sense of security epidemic that hurts hot spots like New York dependent on accuracy.

“Right now, only formally approved tests should be available for sale to consumers,” Schumer said. “The stakes are too high to let bad actors prey on vulnerable New Yorkers and add even more anxiety and uncertainty to this crisis.”

Schumer’s letter to FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn appears below:

Dear Commissioner Hahn:

The array of misinformation about the coronavirus is a danger to public health and an impediment to a swift and full reopening of our country. One of the most dangerous elements of this misinformation is the volume of unapproved COVID-19 tests available online, many of them claiming they are able to conduct an authentic test at home. As you very well know, these tests are not currently approved. I have grave concerns that New Yorkers, understandably frustrated and desperate because of the broad testing shortage across the country, are turning to these unapproved tests. If such a test is unreliable or administered incorrectly, and a person falsely believes they do not have COVID-19 or have antibodies, that presents a danger to their family and their community. 

I appreciate the work that FDA has done thus far, including in its March 20 announcement, in pushing back against these unauthorized tests. However, more must be done. A simple online search, as well as anecdotal evidence from people in New York City, shows that these tests are still easily available and people are buying them. Given how high the stakes are right now, the administration must use all its resources and authority to immediately get these tests off the market. 

I request answers to the following questions:

1.     What is the FDA doing since its March 20 announcement to continue to crackdown on these tests?

2.     Does FDA have sufficient resources to monitor and respond to the availability of these unauthorized tests?

3.     What is FDA doing, in coordination with the White House and its press efforts, to educate the public that authorized tests should not be used?

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer

Addison Kerble displays her completed clothespin trivet from the kit.

Submitted photos and press release:

The Genesee County Family & Consumer Sciences 4-H Club organized an outreach program for the other members in the Genesee County 4-H Program. Thanks to a donation of cans and bottles, the club had funding to put together “quarantine kits,” for interested members.

The kits contained supplies for eight craft projects and information on other engaging activities the county is offering at this time.

One hundred kits were assembled and distributed on Wednesday afternoon, April 22nd, in the parking lot of the Cornell Cooperattive Extension Office on East Main Street in Batavia.

Members were enthusiastic about getting the craft kits.

“This was an exciting opportunity for my club to share the fun we have each month during our FCS meetings," leader Julie Keller said. "The families that helped assemble and I had fun doing so, and it was rewarding to see members take home the kits.”

For more information on Genesee County 4-H contact genesee4h@cornell.edu.

Below, Catherine and Tegan, of Bergen, (inside the vehicle) receive a sheet of instructions from Julie and Melissa Keller, of Corfu.

Below, Julie and Melissa Keller, of Corfu, (outside the vehicle) greet Catherine and Tegan, of Bergen, and hand them some instructions.

Below, the FCS leaders greet a 4-H Family with kit materials and supplies during the 2020 FCS Spring Drive Thru. 

Below, Evan and Maggie Winspear, of Oakfield, waiting for families to arrive. 

James Anthony Colantonio, 50, of Elm Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and failure to stop at a stop sign. At 9:30 a.m. on April 20, Colantonio was arrested on the charges on West Main Street Road in the Town of Batavia after he allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign. He was released with appearance tickets and is due in Town of Batavia Court on June 11. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jonathan Dimmig, assisted by Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Justin O. Porter, 28, of Bennington Street, Rochester, is charged with: aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree; unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree; unlicensed operator; and speeding. According to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Porter was stopped in the area of Swan and Ellicott streets in the city at 5:27 p.m. March 23 following the alleged observation of a vehicle and traffic violation. After an investigation by members of the Genesee County Drug Task Force, it is alleged that Porter possessed some marijuana and was driving while his privilege to do so was suspended in New York State. He was issued appearance tickets for June 2 in Batavia City Court.

A one-car accident is reported just west of the intersection of East Bethany-Le Roy Road and Roanoke Road in Stafford. The vehicle struck a pole and it is down. Wires are possibly in the roadway.

The operator was out of the vehicle and "walking toward Le Roy," says the dispatcher, and is now with a first responder. It is unknown if the driver is injured. Stafford Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 8:26 a.m.: A deputy at the scene reports heavy front-end damage and calls for a flatbed tow truck. The vehicle is about 15 feet off the roadway.

UPDATE 8:28 a.m.: The pole is snapped in half and a heavy wire is hanging low over the roadway.

From the Genesee County Board of Elections:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Presidential Primary Election and NY-27 Special Election, which were scheduled to take place on Tuesday April 28^th at your regular polling locations, have been postponed.

There will be NO voting this coming Tuesday (April 28) and NO Early Voting!

The April 28^th Presidential Primary and NY-27 Special Election have been moved to the June 23^rd Primary date. 

You can vote absentee instead of going to the polls on June 23rd by going to our website, going to departments and elections where you can print an absentee application. Fill it out checking the box that says temporary illness in the first block of questions and in the second block of questions check Primary Election only.

You can also call our office at (585) 815-7804 to request an absentee application. After filling out your absentee application you can either mail it in to the Genesee County Board of Elections, or scan and email your application back into our office for processing.

Our email address is:   election@co.genesee.ny.us

Visit our Facebook Page for updates at Genesee Co. NY Board of Elections.                                                                               

Lorie J. Longhany, Democratic Commissioner

Richard E. Seibert, Republican Commissioner

Board of Elections

**********

County Building One, 15 Main St., Batavia

Phone: (585) 815-7804

FAX: (585) 344-8562

www.co.genesee.ny.us

Press release:

Earlier this semester officials at Genesee Community College were notified by the State University of New York (SUNY) that two of its students will receive the 2020 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Academic Excellence and Leadership. Specifically, Anna Adams, an international student from Germany and Mackenzie O'Brien of Akron, New York are the two GCC students to be honored with this recognition. 

The Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence was created in 1997 and is among the highest honor a SUNY student can receive. The Chancellor's Awards recognize students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement, and/ or career achievement.

In addition, Neil Gillotti, of Middleport, and Adams were also named Phi Theta Kappa All-New York Academic Award recipients for 2020. Phi Theta Kappa is the largest honor society in community college higher education, serving nearly 1,300 colleges in all 50 states and nine sovereign nations. Members of the All-New York Academic Team are recognized for the academic achievements, leadership accomplishments and engagement in community service.

All three of these outstanding students were to be recognized at SUNY's annual ceremony in Albany this semester, but the event was unfortunately cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The award ceremony is always a powerful experience for both students and staff," Dr. Shelitha Williams, GCC's Vice President of Student and Enrollment Services said. "These students have worked hard for these honors and nothing can take that away. This has certainly been a unique semester and we continue to recognize and honor these students for their outstanding achievements."

Adams, O'Brien and Gillotti worked hard for these honors, which have earned them places in GCC's Recognition Matters series highlighting the accomplishments of the College's faculty, staff and students.

As a Digital Arts major, Anna Adams (inset photo right) has maintained a 4.0 grade-point average earning her President's List recognition. She participated in the College's Honors Program, which encourages superior academic work, originality, and independent, creative, interdisciplinary study.

She is bilingual and served in various capacities as a college intern within GCC's International Student and Admissions Offices, as well as a work-study student in GCC's Mac Lab within the Digital Arts Program.

In addition, Adams was president of the International Student Organization, a graphic assistant in the New Courier student newspaper, a member of the International Communications Club and a participant in the Scholar's Symposium. One of Adams' many projects was creating a series of "vlogs" or video blogs.

Adams hopes to transfer to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and continue her work as a visual artist to one day work for Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, Calif.

Outside her Criminal Justice classrooms and labs where she earned President's List recognition, Mackenzie O'Brien (inset photo left) was a three-sport student-athlete and also captain of GCC's Women's Soccer and Lacrosse teams.

She is a two-time All-Conference and an All-Region soccer player who was one of only three freshmen starters to lead the team to a Regional Title and National appearance in the Elite Eight.

In addition, O'Brien served as the president of GCC's Leaders in Education, Athletics and Development of Student (LEADS) program that provides insight, support and leadership to promote and advance the College's broad-based athletic program. She was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa.

After graduation, O'Brien plans to transfer to Alfred University to earn her bachelor's degree with long-term plans to become a criminal investigator specializing in forensics for New York State Police or the FBI.

About Neil Gillotti

Neil Gillotti (inset photo right) is currently serving as the student representative on GCC's Board of Trustees for the 2019-2020 academic year.

He is a Computer and Information Sciences major with plans to transfer to Rochester Institute of Technology for a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, working toward a doctorate and a lifelong career in aerospace.

He was a president of GCC's PTK Chapter, working on various fundraising activities and also advancing the GCC Chapter to Five Star status.

Outside his academic commitments, Gillotti was instrumental in founding a new church, God's Voice Ministries, which provides extensive outreach services to many diverse groups.

Press release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee Inc. Child Care Resource and Referral Program is pleased to announce that the Cuomo Administration has developed a plan to provide child care to eligible essential workers at no cost.

This allocation of funding for child care for essential workers comes to the state from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act(the “CARES Act”), which has provided New York with $163.6 million in emergency relief to the child care system.

New York State is using a portion of this funding to provide free child care for income eligible essential workers.

Essential workers using a regulated child care provider may receive a scholarship for the cost of care as long as the funds to support it are available. All licensed and regulated providers who are caring for essential workers are able to participate in this new program.

Access to affordable and safe child care is a barrier for working parents during the best of times, and even more so during a crisis.

New York State’s plan will ensure that the workforce that is needed to protect and care for the public during this pandemic have the child care that allows them to continue to serve us all. CCR&Rs are the child care experts and the conduit to accessing child care in New York State.

If you meet the definition of an essential employee and have child care needs, please apply here. You will be contacted by Community Action of Orleans and Genesee Child Care Resource and Referral staff within one business day.

We will follow up on next steps to gather information about your household and help you identify a participating child care provider or work with your current registered or licensed child care provider. If you have questions, you may contact Taryn Moyle, CCR&R Manager at: tmoyle@caoginc.org

From the Genesee & Orleans County Health Departmenta:

Deer ticks live in shady, moist areas at ground level. They will cling to tall grass, brush and shrubs, usually no more than 18-24 inches off the ground. They also live in lawns and gardens, especially at the edges of woods and around old stone walls.

Deer ticks cannot jump or fly, and do not drop onto passing people or animals. They get on humans and animals only by direct contact. Once a tick gets on the skin, it generally climbs upward until it reaches a protected area.

“It’s important for you and your family to learn how to prevent a bite, how to remove a tick, and what to do if you think you could have a tick-borne disease,” said Sarah Balduf, Environmental director for the Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments.

In tick-infested areas, your best protection is to avoid contact with soil, leaf litter and vegetation.

“As we continue to balance the implications of COVID-19 and working to enjoy outdoor activities, remember to follow Governor Cuomo’s 10-point New York State on PAUSE Plan, including that individuals should limit outdoor recreational activities to non-contact and avoid activities where they come in close contact with other people,” said Paul Pettit, director for the Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments.

For more information about the New York State on PAUSE Plan click here.

However, if you garden, hike, camp, hunt, work, or otherwise spend time in the outdoors and maintain appropriate social distancing, you can still protect yourself:

• Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.
• Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants.
• Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors.
• Consider using insect repellent.
• Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Walk in the center of trails. Avoid dense woods and bushy areas.
• Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls.
• Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening.
• Bathe or shower as soon as possible after going indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that may be on you.
• Do a final, full-body tick check at the end of the day (also check children and pets), and remove ticks promptly.

What About Insect Repellent?

Consider using insect repellents registered with the Environmental Protection Agency:

• DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) can be applied to exposed skin. Products that contain 20 percent or more DEET can provide protection that lasts up to several hours. Use the lowest concentration of DEET that you will need for the length of time you will be outdoors.
• Picaridin is a colorless, nearly odorless ingredient that can be applied to exposed skin in a range of 5 to 20 percent of the active ingredient.
• Permethrin: Clothes, shoes and camping gear can be treated or purchased pretreated with permethrin. Its protection can last through many washes.Neverapply permethrin to skin. The New York State Health Department recommends taking these precautions when using repellents that contain these active ingredients:
• Store out of the reach of children and read all instructions on the label before applying.
• Do NOT allow children to apply repellents themselves.

What Can I Do To Reduce Ticks In My Yard?

• Keep lawns mowed and edges trimmed.
• Clear brush, leaf litter and tall grass around the house, and at the edges of gardens and stone walls.
• Stack woodpiles neatly away from the house and preferably off the ground.
• In the fall, clear all leaf and garden litter, where ticks can live in the winter, out of your yard.
• Keep the ground under bird feeders clean so as not to attract small animals that can carry ticks into your yard.
• Locate children’s swing sets and other play equipment in sunny, dry areas of the yard, away from the woods where ticks can be abundant. For more information on Lyme disease, contact your local health department or refer to the NYS Department of Health website.

Also Consider These Important Facts:

• If you tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants, be aware that ticks will climb upward to hidden areas of the head and neck, so spot-check clothes frequently.
• Clothes can be sprayed with DEET or treated with permethrin. Follow label instructions carefully.
• Upon returning home, clothes can be put in a high temperature dryer for 20 minutes to kill any unseen ticks.
• Any contact with vegetation, even playing in the yard, can result in exposure to ticks. Frequent tick checks should be followed by a whole-body examination and tick removal each night. This is the single most effective method for prevention of Lyme disease.

How Can I Safely Remove a Tick?

If you DO find a tick attached to your skin, do not panic. Not all ticks are infected, and your risk of Lyme disease is greatly reduced if the tick is removed within the first 36 hours. To remove a tick:

• Use a pair of pointed tweezers to grasp the tick by the head or mouth parts right where they enter the skin. DO NOT grasp the tick by the body.
• Pull firmly and steadily outward. DO NOT jerk or twist the tick.
• Place the tick in a small container of rubbing alcohol to kill it.
• Clean the bite wound with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
• Monitor the site of the bite for the next 30 days for the appearance of a rash. If you develop a rash or flu-like symptoms, contact your health care provider immediately. Although not routinely recommended, taking antibiotics within three days after a tick bite may be beneficial for some persons. This would apply to deer tick bites that occurred in areas where Lyme disease is common and there is evidence that the tick fed for more than one day. In cases like this you should discuss the possibilities with your doctor or health care provider.

For information on Health Department services in Genesee County contact:

• Genesee County Health Department at: 344-2580, ext. 5555, or visit their website.

Public Notice

Local State of Emergency Proclamation

A State of Emergency was declared in the City of Batavia for a period of time beginning at 4:30 p.m. on April 21, 2020 and continuing in effect for a period not to exceed 30 days.

This State of Emergency has been declared due to emergency conditions produced by: the continuing Nationally declared state of emergency, the New York State declared state of emergency, the County of Genesee declared state of emergency, and the anticipated arrival of the COVID-19 new coronavirus in the City of Batavia, New York. Such conditions threaten or imperil the public health or safety of the citizens of this municipality.

As Chief Executive of this municipality, I have exercised the authority given to me under New York State Executive Law, Article 2-B, to preserve the public safety and hereby render all required and available assistance vital to the security, well-being and health of the citizens of the City.

I hereby direct all City Departments to take those steps necessary to protect life and property, public health and infrastructure and other such emergency assistance as deemed necessary. In addition, I direct the following specific actions.

1. All City offices are closed to the public. The City will conduct business with the public remotely through the use of phones, computers, mail, or other means. These offices are otherwise closed to the public, unless a situation requires interaction with a member of the public as determined by the respective City Department on a case by case basis. The drop box for the payment of bills is still available at the front of City Hall.
2. City Council meetings will be closed to the public until further notice. Provision will be made for the public to observe or listen to City Council meetings.
3. All other regularly scheduled Board, Committee, Task Force, or other official City of Batavia meetings are closed to the public, and shall be either conducted by electronic means (phone, video conferencing, etc.) or cancelled.
4. City Parks remain open to public use provided that the State of New York declared restrictions on congregating are followed. However, all rental or reservation uses of city owned facilities are suspended until further notice. This includes parks, sports complexes, buildings, roadways, or public walkways. If any actions outline in this Declaration contradict any order issued by the State of New York then the State order shall control.

Martin Moore

City Manager

City of Batavia

Public Notice

Emergency Order #4-2020

I issue the following emergency order(s) for the period of April 22, 2020 through April 26, 2020. This order continues the following issued under Emergency Order #3, which was effective April 17, 2020.

1. All Public Parks within the City Limits of the City of Batavia, New York remain open to public use from 7 a.m. to dusk. During the times that public parks are open, State of New York declared restrictions on congregating will be observed. In addition, all playground areas, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, basketball courts, picnic pavilions, splash pads, and other park facilities that are used for activities that constitute congregating are closed to public use.

Martin Moore

City Manager

City of Batavia

Press release:

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, Assemblyman Steve Hawley recently partnered with Sen. Robert G. Ortt and Sen. Michael H. Razenholfer to request a postponement of hearing dates for the development of new energy initiatives as part of the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act.

The goal is to ensure that the district, which is incredibly involved in siting policy at the local level, is allowed to participate in the public forums mandated by the act.

“This pause in daily life has not been without its struggles, and the people of Western New York have been performing admirably during this time,” Hawley said. “It’s why I want to ensure their right to assembly, especially during matters that concern them.”