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With Rose Mary Christian stepping down after a nearly 30-year career as a member of the Batavia City Council, the question becomes, “Who is going to replace her, even if it’s on a temporary basis?”

Speaking by telephone following tonight’s City Council Business Meeting, Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. believes that Chapter 3, Section 3 of the City Charter is clear: Christian’s seat should be filled by a Republican who lives in the Sixth Ward (southeast portion of the city).

Batavia resident John Roach, however, in a memo dated Nov. 5 to City Clerk Heidi Parker – and obtained by The Batavian – said he believes that the person should be a registered Democrat. Roach was involved in the drafting of the City Charter several years ago.

A call to City Republican Party Chair Rick Richmond was not returned by the time of the posting of this story.

The reason for the difference in opinion is because Christian was a Democrat when elected to her most recent term and then changed her affiliation to a Republican.

For the record, the City Charter reads as follows:

“Pending such election and qualification of a Council member to fill a vacancy, Council shall fill the vacancy temporarily by appointment of a qualified person who shall be of the same political affiliation as the Council member whose place has become vacant and, if he or she was a ward Council member, a resident of the same ward.”

Jankowski emphasizes the part where it states “of the same political affiliation …” as the basis for his belief that a Republican is next in line.

“And that's pretty specific,” he said. “It tells me, what are you now and your seat just became vacant. It doesn't say what you were five years ago when you ran one time? It doesn't say anything like that. It doesn't say the party of which you are elected under. She has been a Republican for the majority of her recent term.”

Roach’s memo indicates that “the intent of the Charter was that the affiliation at the time of taking office should be the one to make the temporary appointment, and that would be the Democrat Party. Unless there is a NY State law that states differently, I think the intention of the voters two years ago should prevail.”

That’s just a citizen interpreting the Charter, Jankowski said, “but he (Roach) has no authority to interpret the charter to do anything about it.”

“He's just an outside observer who once worked on the commission that says he thinks this is what the intent was,” Jankowski added. “But that doesn't say that. Our marching orders are pretty specific. It says replace them from the party of which they were when they left. It's pretty specific. It doesn't talk about in the beginning of their term; it talks about what they are today when they resigned.”

Most likely, this issue will be the topic of debate in the near future as Christian said she hopes to relocate this week, making tonight’s meeting her last. City officials previously announced that a farewell party for her will take place from 5:15 to 7 p.m. Nov. 22 at the City Hall Council Board Room.

When it comes to Christian’s contributions to city government, Jankowski said he admired her tenacity despite not always seeing eye-to-eye on the issues.

“She'll be missed. I mean, she's a big advocate,” he said. “She's my ward councilperson … and she’ll be missed by the Sixth Ward. She's been a fighter for our ward for as long as I could remember.  And she's always done her best to represent the public and to, you know, do her best on Council. So, she'll be sorely missed.”

When asked if he was going to miss the times when they butted heads during the meetings, Jankowski said, “I will, because I like a spirited debate.”

“I think it's a good thing if people disagree and respectfully hash it out. I don't have a problem with that part of the process. I welcome that.”

Pressed about the fact that he has had to rebuke her at certain times, Jankowski said it was his job to keep the meeting moving in the right direction.

“Sometimes things get off track and you've got to bring it back. I understand and I respect her opinions, but if it’s not appropriate at the time, and if it's not on the agenda, I mean, we’ve got to move forward. We can only go so far. We've got to come back to the meeting.”

Photo: Rose Mary Christian, right, speaks with Assistant City Manager Jill Wiedrick, left, and Council member Kathleen Briggs prior to tonight's City Council Special Conference meeting. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

With a victory on Tuesday night against Fillmore, the Section V Class D1 champion Alexander Lady Trojans will have an opportunity to face Genesee Region foe Pavilion for a second time this season – and this time there will be a trip to the Far West Regionals at stake.

Alexander Coach Marcia Hirsch, who reached the 1984 sectional finals as a player (her name then was Marcia Brown), said she is hoping to get another chance at knocking off the undefeated Lady Gophers in the Class D playoffs.

“Yeah, we played them once earlier this year, and they kind of beat up on us pretty good,” Hirsch said. “So, the girls would love another chance to play them because they didn't think they played very well that night.”

The loss to Pavilion during the regular season was one of only three defeats in 22 matches for the Lady Trojans, who upended top-seeded Letchworth in four sets on Friday night for the school’s first sectional crown since 1979.

Friday’s win puts Alexander into the three-team Class D playoff round to determine the Section V entry in the Far West Regionals at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Le Roy High School.  Chautauqua Lake is the Section VI representative.

The playoff format is as follows:

• Alexander vs. Fillmore (Class D3 champion) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Pavilion High School;

• The winner of that game vs. Pavilion on Thursday night at 6 p.m. at Caledonia-Mumford High School.

Hirsch, in her 17^th year as coach, said she is proud of the way this season’s team was able to come together in light of losing five key seniors from the 2020 squad. Four juniors from that team have stepped up significantly this year as Hirsch had to juggle the lineup quite a bit.

“My seniors have been awesome all year,” she said, crediting the consistent play of outside hitter Sam Sawyer, setter Adeline Kautz, libero (back row “rover”) Courtney Schum and middle hitter Norah Crawford. Sawyer, Kautz and Crawford are co-captains.

Other key contributors are sophomores Alyssa Kramer and Riley Powell, and juniors Julia Yax and Mel Pohl.

Hirsch said she has had to “do a lot of maneuvering around (with the lineup)” as only two players have stayed with their same position.

“I think the key to our success was how good Adeline came around as a setter,” she offered. “We lost our setter last year and Adeline didn't really get the opportunity to set, so this year she was awesome all year and ended up being a (league) all-star.

“Another big thing is just our coverage; it’s hard (for the opposition) to get anything to hit the floor. So, that’s been a positive for us.”

The girls return to practice today in preparation for tomorrow’s match against Fillmore, which defeated Houghton Academy in five sets in the Class D3 finals.

“I haven’t seen them since Friday so I hope they enjoyed it (time off) and are ready to get back to work,” said Hirsch, who is supported by assistant coach Abbie Kelly and jayvee coach Alycia Yax.

Submitted photo: Front from left, Melanie Pohl, Alyssa Kramer, Maia Saile, Norah Crawford, Makayla Raines; back, Coach Marcia Hirsch, Julia Yax, Samantha Sawyer, Riley Powell, Courtney Schum, Adeline Kautz, Holly Bykowski, Jayvee Coach Alycia Yax.

Update Nov. 9, 12:30 p.m. -- Pavilion's match on Thursday will be played at 6 p.m. at Caledonia-Mumford High School.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Pavilion varsity girls volleyball team has executed its game plan to perfection this season.

That’s because the Lady Gophers have played 23 matches and have not lost a single set en route to capturing the Section V Class D2 championship – their second straight sectional crown.

Second-seeded Pavilion claimed the trophy on Friday night with a 25-11, 25-15, 25-11 sweep of No. 1 Harley-Allendale-Columbia.

The victory advances the Lady Gophers to the Class D crossover final on Thursday against either Class D1 champion Alexander or Class D3 champion Fillmore.

Alexander – which defeated Letchworth in four sets for the title – will square off against Fillmore at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Pavilion High School, with the winner to meet Pavilion.

The survivor of the three-team Class D playoffs will move on to the Far West Regionals against Chautauqua Lake of Section VI at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Le Roy High School.

Coach Rex Eighmey, in his 18^th year at the helm, said the “chemistry” of this year’s Pavilion team is off the charts and credits that to the experience most of the girls have gained from playing “club” and summer volleyball against larger schools in addition to their Section V high school schedule.

“A lot of the girls play club and they just love their volleyball,” he said. “And they just happen to be very good players. That’s the main reason; the players are the reason we’re doing what we’re doing.”

The team is led by what Eighmey calls his “Core Four” of senior setter Shannon Campbell, senior outside hitter and captain Adeline Milligan, junior outside hitter Karlee Zinkievich and 6-foot-1 junior middle hitter Lauren Kingsley.

All four are in their fourth year of varsity volleyball – which equates to a great deal of time on the floor together.

“They’re just so used to playing together,” Eighmey said. “Like some of our fans have said, it’s like a well-oiled machine. They just know where each other is going to be.”

Statistically, entering the sectional title game, Campbell, the squad’s vocal leader, had 483 assists in her setter role; Milligan had 193 kills and 145 digs; Kingsley had 203 kills, 38 ½ blocks and 77 digs, and Zinkievich had 100 aces, 120 kills and 132 digs.

Also playing key roles as hitters and defensive specialists in either the front or back row are Paige Landers, 5-foot-11 Shea Amberger, Sara Laurie, Abby Lemley and Samantha Sikora, Eighmey said.

The starting lineup and substitution patterns have worked to a T thus far as the Lady Gophers’ will take a 69-set winning streak into Thursday’s contest.

When asked how close they came to losing a set, Eighmey said that they trailed Warsaw 24-23 before his team rallied to take the next three points.

“That’s the only team that has come close to beating us in a set,” he said.

The Lady Gophers defeated Alexander this season but did not play against Fillmore.

Eighmey also credited assistant coach Rebecca Zinkievich for her dedication to the finer points of the sport.

“Rebecca is a big part of this. She does a lot of drills and a lot of practices and stuff,” he said.

On Sunday, the coaches (junior varsity coach Betty Worthington also is an assistant) and players watched the videotape of Chautauqua Lake’s 25-17, 25-12, 16-25, 25-13 victory over Randolph in the Section VI Class D finals. Chautauqua Lake is 17-0.

“They’re a strong team, but we’re looking forward to the challenge,” Eighmey said. “The sectionals are huge, and now, hopefully, we can win (the regionals) and make it to the four-team state tournament on November 20^th and 21^st in Glens Falls.”

Submitted photo: The Pavilion Lady Gophers with the Section V Class D2 trophy following Friday's victory over Harley-Allendale-Columbia. Front from left, Shannon Campbell, Sara Logsdon, Paige Landers, Abby Lemley, Lily Macaluso, Karlee Zinkievich; back, Assistant Coach Rebecca Zinkievich, Jayvee Coach Betty Worthington, Shea Amberger, Lauren Kingsley, Adeline Milligan, Sara Laurie, Samantha Sikora, Coach Rex Eighmey.

Le Roy’s varsity football season came to an end this afternoon as the Oatkan Knights dropped a 14-7 decision to Haverling in a Section V Class C semifinal game at Hartwood Park.

Coach Brian Herdlein’s second-seeded Knights finish at 8-2, while No. 3 Haverling, 8-1, moves on to face East Rochester/Gananda in the sectional finals next Saturday at Honeoye Falls-Lima.

The visiting Rams scored touchdowns in the first and second quarters before Le Roy pulled to within striking distance with a 12-play, 70-yard drive that ate up more than eight minutes of the clock in the third quarter.

Sparked by the strong running of senior Brock Flint, Le Roy opened the second half with what turned out to be its only sustained drive of the game – converting three fourth-down plays in the process to reach the end zone.

The big play was a 37-yard pass from senior quarterback John Panepento to junior running back Jack Tonzi on a fourth-and-17 situation at the Haverling 42.

From there, Panepento rushed for three yards, setting up a two-yard plunge by Adrian Stevens to make the score 14-6.  Kicker Mitch Hockey added the point after touchdown to make it a seven-point game.

The Knights’ defense held up in the second half – thwarting Haverling drives behind several key plays:

• Lineman Jack Lathan’s fourth-down sack of Rams’ junior QB Justin Yehl early in the fourth quarter;

• Stopping senior running back Keian McRae on a fourth-and-three play at the Le Roy 25 with 6:30 to play;

• Lineman Tyler Strollo’s fumble recovery with less than two minutes remaining.

Unfortunately for the home team, however, the offense was unable to pull any closer as four possessions ended on a dropped pass on fourth down, a punt, an interception by Haverling linebacker William Clarke, and – with a minute left – two straight incompletions.

In the first half, the teams traded punts before Haverling took over at its own 6 on an interception by Yehl, who also plays defensive back.

Switching to offense, the lefty QB proceeded to complete two passes – each for eight yards – to senior tight end Gavin Buckley and McRae before hitting McRae for a 78-yard touchdown with 41 seconds left in the opening quarter.

On the play, Yehl rolled out to his left and launched the ball deep down the middle of the field to a wide open McRae. A pass attempt for the two-point conversion failed and Haverling had a 6-0 lead.

Another interception early in the second quarter, this one by senior defensive back Damien Hall, gave the ball back to the visitors just inside Le Roy territory.

The Knights’ defense, sparked by linebacker Tony Piazza, put Haverling in a fourth-and-two situation at the Le Roy 27, but Yehl came through again – this time avoiding the blitz and hitting senior wide receiver Anthony Brotz for a 27-yard touchdown.

McRae pounded it in for the two-point conversion to give the Rams a 14-0 lead with 8:53 remaining in the half.

Le Roy was unable to move the ball on its next two possessions, having to punt both times.

Updated, 9:50 p.m. Nov. 7:

FOOTBALL
SEMIFINALS
CLASS B
Batavia 60, Wayne 21
Honeoye Falls-Lima 41, Dansville/Wayland-Cohocton 18
Finals: No. 2 Batavia vs. No. 1 HF-L, Nov. 13, 6 p.m., at Pittsford Sutherland High School

CLASS C
Haverling 14, Le Roy 7
East Rochester/Gananda 29, Letchworth/Warsaw/Perry 13
Finals: No. 1 ER/G vs. Haverling, Nov. 13, noon, at Honeoye Falls-Lima High School

CLASS D
Avon 13, Alexander 7
Oakfield-Alabama/Elba 54, Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen 20
Finals: No. 1 O-A/Elba vs. No. 2 Avon, Nov. 12, 7 p.m., at Van Detta Stadium, Batavia

EIGHT-MAN
Red Jacket 52, Pembroke 12

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
FINALS
CLASS C
Le Roy defeated Attica, 20-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-21 (story below)
Le Roy, 22-1, advances to Far West Regionals on Nov. 13 at 2:30 p.m. vs. Portville of Section VI or Skaneateles of Section III. The game will be played at Le Roy High School.

CLASS D1
Alexander defeated Letchworth, 25-21, 25-21, 17-25, 25-23
Courtney Schum, tournament MVP; Sam Sawyer, Alyssa Kramer, all-tournament selections
Alexander, 19-3, advances to a Class D crossover game at 6 p.m. Tuesday vs. Fillmore. The game will be played at Pavilion High School.

CLASS D2
Pavilion defeated Harley-Allendale-Columbia, 25-11, 25-15, 25-11
Adeline Milligan, tournament MVP; Lauren Kingsley, Shannon Campbell, all-tournament selections
Pavilion, 23-0, advances to the overall Class D finals on Thursday vs. the winner of Alexander-Fillmore at a site to be determined.

In a battle of Section V volleyball powers, the Le Roy Oatkan Knights rallied to defeat Attica in four games for the Class C championship Friday night at Avon High School.

Coach Sue Staba’s squad dropped the opening game, 25-20, before coming back to post 25-23, 25-16 and 25-21 wins for its first sectional title since 2017.

Second-seeded Le Roy, 22-1, has advanced to the finals for the past seven seasons.

Staba was named Class C Coach of the Year following the match.

“The girls worked hard all season for this,” Staba said. “They were not going to give up even after dropping the first set. We settled in during game two and started playing our game.”

Le Roy went up 19-14 in the second game, but Attica scored eight of the next 12 points to close within one at 23-22 before the Knights prevailed.

In the third game, Le Roy took control early and the Blue Devils could get no closer than 15-10.

The fourth set was close throughout, with Attica taking a 17-14 lead before Le Roy pulled into a 17-17 tie. With the score tied at 20, sophomore Dana Reschke served the Knights to a 24-20 and, following an Attica point, Le Roy ended it on a Blue Devils’ miscue.

Tournament MVP Allie Ingles filled the stat sheet for the winners, tallying 13 kills (hits that were unreturnable), 11 digs (first contact after the opposition returns the ball) and two blocks (defensive play at the net).

Ingles received plenty of support, with senior co-captains Riley Wood and Hailey Johnson recording 30 digs and 14 assists, respectively, en route to being named to the All-Tournament Team.

Reschke registered 13 assists, while junior Emma Hobart had 19 service points and six kills; senior co-captain Quinn Doty had four kills and five digs; junior Katie Salphine had three kills and four blocks, and junior Sophia Braun contributed four kills.

Other members of the Le Roy team are juniors Rylee Burns and McKenna Coniber, sophomore Lily Uberty and freshman Kylee Green.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this team and all of their hard work and dedication,” Staba added.

The fourth-seeded Blue Devils, who end their season at 18-3, have been in the finals the past three years – and took the Class C1 crown in 2019.

Coach Nici Parkhurst credited her squad for hanging in there against a Le Roy team that finished the season with 19 straight victories.

“We played tough defense and served well tonight,” she said. “The team worked hard and stayed in each set.”

Sophomore Ellie Cusmano (five kills, three aces and 24 digs) and senior Tori Walker (three aces and 29 digs) were named to the All-Tournament Team. Senior Chase Harding added six kills and nine digs, senior Emily Gadd had nine kills and Olivia Mercado chipped in with five kills and three blocks.

Le Roy moves on to regional competition with a game at home next Saturday (Nov. 13) at 2:30 p.m. against either Eden or Portville of Section VI.

Le Roy's Hailey Johnson spikes one over the net past two Attica defenders. No. 13 for Le Roy is Emma Hobart.

Tournament MVP Allie Ingles (5) gets off the ground in an attempt to get the ball past Attica's Chase Harding, left, and Emily Gadd.

Attica's Olivia Mercado makes a play on the ball at the net.

The Oatkan Knights got plenty of support from their fans.

Quinn Doty (2) gets ready as Hailey Johnson sets it up.

Attica's Maddie Robinson, Chase Harding and Tori Walker ready for the next vollley. 

Le Roy Coach Sue Staba and her Section V Class C championship squad.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

To view or purchase prints, click here.

The Batavia High Blue Devils took care of business in convincing fashion on Friday night before the home fans by rushing for more than 400 yards and five touchdowns in a 60-21 rout of Wayne in a Section V Class B semifinal football game at Van Detta Stadium.

Junior running backs Aiden Anderson and Cam McClinic (photo at top) combined for the five touchdowns on the ground, with Anderson amassing 142 yards on 16 carries and McClinic picking up 151 yards on just five attempts.

"Our offensive line did a fantastic job winning the line of scrimmage and the running backs did their job -- they ran hard and saw the field well," said Batavia Coach Brennan Briggs." 

The victory sets up a rematch between second-seeded Batavia, 9-1, and No. 1 Honeoye Falls-Lima, 10-0, at 6 p.m. next Saturday night at Pittsford Sutherland High School for the Class B crown. HF-L defeated the Blue Devils in the title game last season, and also posted a 27-26 win at Batavia earlier this season.

HF-L topped Dansville/Wayland-Cohocton, 41-18, on Friday night.

"Our team is excited for another opportunity to play HF-L," Briggs said. "I expect a great week of practice. I’m proud of this team."

Against Wayne, Batavia scored on both first-quarter possessions as Anderson slashed through the defense for touchdown runs of 10 and 17 yards. The visitors also scored on their initial two drives, with Dylan Vance converting short runs to make the score 14-14 midway through the second quarter.

From that point on, however, it was all Batavia as Carter McFollins scored on a 45-yard run before Anderson scampered in from three yards out – his third TD – to make it 28-14 at the half.

Batavia kicker Julia Petry was successful on six of eight point after touchdown attempts for the game.

The Blue Devils outscored Wayne, 26-0, in the third quarter with McClinic scoring on runs of five and 53 yards, and McFollins scoring on a 52-yard catch-and-run toss from QB Jesse Reinhart and later on a 40-yard interception return.

Wayne scored midway through the fourth quarter to make it 54-21 before senior Ethan Loaeza completed the scoring for the Blue Devils on a three-yard run with 2:37 to play.

Loaeza carried eight times for 64 yards. Reinhart was 4-for-4 passing for 80 yards, with McFollins catching two of those throws for 75 yards.

On defense, Kaden Marucci had 12 tackles, Abel Hammer came up with seven tackles and a sack, and McFollins had five tackles.

Photos by Jim Burns.

Carter McFollins closes in on Wayne's Dylan Vance.

]

Batavia's Aiden Anderson hauls in a pass from QB Jesse Reinhart.

Carter McFollins at the end of a big gain for Batavia.

Batavia's Javen McFollins defending a pass to the end zone.

Abel Hammer comes away with the ball as Wayne turns it over.

Ethan Loeaza bursts into the secondary.

Loeaza celebrates in the end zone.

Press release:

The Notre Dame Board of Trustees on Wednesday announced the hiring of Mikey Rapone as the varsity boys basketball coach beginning in the 2022-23 season, replacing his father, Mike Rapone, who has compiled the most victories in Section V boys basketball history over a 42-year career.

Previously, Mike Rapone announced that he would be stepping down after this season. He has a 708-208 record at the varsity level.

Mikey Rapone (ND Class of 2002 and member of 2001 ND NYS Championship basketball team) has over 15 years coaching at Notre Dame, working with athletes, parents, administrators, and community members.

During the interview process, he commented that coaching in various positions at Notre Dame has enabled him to learn how to successfully motivate student-athletes by ascertaining their strengths as well as their weaknesses and to use this knowledge to assist them in working to achieve beyond their limitations while forging a team first attitude.

"I have gained an understanding of the unique balance of discipline, respect, support, and approachability one needs to maintain with student-athletes to be a successful coach," he said. "I feel that I have developed a great rapport with the teams I have coached and am proud of the relationships we share.”

Rapone said he developed his coaching style by learning from excellent coaches, including his father and also Bill Sutherland, Bill Wade, Dave Pero Sr., Wade Bianco, Marc Staley, Joe Zambito, Rick Rapone, Billy Sutherland, Rick Mancuso and Jim Fanara.

"That is a coaching tree that anyone interested in becoming a coach would love to have been able to learn from and it has prepared me well to maintain the tradition of excellence that is Notre Dame basketball," he said.

He acknowledged that "nobody can replace my father," but added that, "there is nothing more I would like to do than to be the next coach of the Notre Dame basketball program that he spent 40-plus years building."

"I plan to coach in the way that he has envisioned his program to be run by his successor and in a manner Notre Dame can be proud of.  I am not my father. We haven’t always agreed on coaching strategies and personnel but the one thing I definitely share with my dad is his love and passion for Notre Dame, the student-athletes and especially the Notre Dame boys basketball program,” he offered.

A public hearing on the Town of Batavia’s 2022 contract with the Town of Batavia Fire Department is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Town Hall, 3833 West Main St. Rd.

The proposed contract, which would take effect on Jan. 1, calls for the town to pay the fire department $1,185,265 for fire protection for all of next year.

Town residents fund the fire department through a separate special district tax, which is expected to remain at $2.34 per thousand of assessed valuation – the same as 2021.

The town board announced the public hearing date at its meeting on Wednesday night.

In other action, the town board:

• Approved an agreement in which the town will provide code enforcement services to the Town of Alabama, specifically for development at the WNY Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park.

According to the resolution, the Town of Alabama shall pay the Town of Batavia $55.44 per hour during normal business hours Monday through Friday. The charge for field inspections outside of that timeframe will be $83.16 per hour. Mileage incurred by enforcement officers also will be reimbursed.

• Completed the preliminary 2022 budget process, setting the property tax rate at $2.51 per thousand of assessed valuation. The rate is a 12 percent decrease from 2021, and will generate $1,236,000 in property taxes – the same amount as last year.

The sewer rate remains the same as 2021 -- at $7.09 per 1,000 gallons used -- while the water rate for both residential and agricultural consumers is going up by 2 percent – to $6.32 and $5.12 per 1,000 gallons, respectively.

Salaries for elected officials are as follows:

• Supervisor Gregory Post, $40,000.
• Deputy Supervisor Dan Underhill, $18,000.
• Council members Patti Michalak, Chad Zambito and Sharon White, $12,000.
• Town Clerk/Tax Collector Teressa Morasco, $74,541.
• Highway Superintendent Tom Lichtenthal, $20,101.
• Town Justices Lisa Funke and Andrew Young, $28,840.

No one from the public spoke at public hearings on the budget, sewer and water rates on Wednesday.

The Centers for Disease Control’s approval of a vaccine for 5-11-year-olds provides a new weapon in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic that has buffeted society for going on two years, Genesee & Orleans Public Health Director Paul Pettit said this morning.

Pettit (pictured at right), speaking to the media via Zoom, continued to spread the word about the effectiveness of the three authorized vaccines – Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson – in helping to prevent and reducing the severity of the coronavirus.

He also touched upon this week’s CDC approval (and New York State’s acceptance) of Pfizer’s vaccine for youth in the 5 to 11 age range.

“Under emergency use authorization, it's a little bit different than the full dose Pfizer vaccine for adults,” Pettit said. “It's actually a third of the adult dose, same time period. You're going to have a dose on day one and then you'll also be given a dose 21 days later to be fully vaccinated.

“And again, it'll be two weeks after that second dose that anybody would be considered fully vaccinated. So, it's a five week period, technically, if you look at it from start to finish when you get your first dose.”

He said the one-third dose that was tested showed sufficient antibody response for kids in that age group and has been shown in the trials to be effective at preventing disease and preventing symptoms in those who may again acquire the disease after being fully vaccinated.

Pettit said the COVID-19 vaccines “have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring through the development of it in U.S. history, and vaccinating children will help prevent and protect them from getting COVID-19 and therefore reduce the risk of severe disease hospitalizations and developing long-term COVID complications.”

Children at that age can be carriers of the virus, even if they are asymptomatic, Pettit said.

“They can bring COVID back home to their loved ones, including those that may be more susceptible to severe illness, even if they are vaccinated … So, this is the next tool for us as far as moving forward.”

He said he advises parents to talk to their healthcare providers, mentioning that children – like adults – have varying medical histories.

“We're not giving medical advice here. We are talking about the vaccine and the importance and the role that it will play in protecting children,” he said. "But ultimately, every child has their unique medical history, just like we all do as adults. And we want to make sure that any parents that have any questions or concerns … to become educated, to do your research, to evaluate and look at your own individual situation with your kids and talk to your doctor.”

Pettit spoke on a variety of subjects related to COVID and the activities of the Genesee and Orleans county health departments.

GUIDANCE, RESTRICTIONS IN SCHOOLS

Weekly conference calls with school superintendents continue, Pettit said, adding that, generally speaking, schools are doing well as the health department tracks the number of cases at all districts.

“I would say on average, we're probably around 15 to 20 percent of our active cases are in school aged kids, not necessarily indicating that it's school related spread,” he said. “But these are kids that are positive. So again, that number does vary -- vary up and down.”

The state continues to require masks for everyone indoors at schools – a mandate that has been “frustrating for parents” and “controversial,” Pettit said.

“But ultimately, we have seen a significant improvement in the reduction of quarantines in students this year. And what that has allowed for is better continuity of education. Kids have been able to stay in school and continue to learn in the in-class environment, which is, you know, something that our superintendents have been very vocal about in wanting to make sure we can keep these kids in-person and keep them learning and keep that continuity.”

Pettit mentioned “test and stay” -- a program under consideration by the NYS Department of Health that would allow students testing positive for COVID to remain in school and to avoid a quarantine as long as they are tested every day.

He acknowledged many logistical and supply challenges in implementing this program.

“We are exploring this,” he said. “We're looking at our different funding streams to see if we can … put together the resources to be able to purchase the supplies to get the staffing we need to be able to carry this out.”

Responding to a question from The Batavian on whether discussions are taking place regarding the number of 5-11-year-olds receiving the vaccine and it’s effect on the masking requirement, Pettit said he has not been advised of any verification of what percentage would have to be reached.

He did, however, offer some statistics pertaining to student vaccination rates.

“In Genesee County, the 12-15 age group, we’re at 35 percent vaccinated; the 16-18 at 52.3 percent, and in Orleans County, we’re at 39.1 percent in that 12-15 bucket and 47.1 percent in the 16-18. And the 5 to 11 has just started, so I'm sure we don't have very many there yet,” he said. “But, as far as the masking, that's going to be a decision most likely that's going to be carried out at the state level, not locally.”

POSITIVITY RATES

Pettit said the positivity rates in both counties are hovering around 20 to 30 positives per day, with active cases typically around 200 to 225.

“We have noticed over the last week or two, though, there has been some regional uptick in cases,” he said. “This isn't necessarily something to be unexpected as it is getting colder out … and as we start to come indoors now, there's obviously increased exposure risk, not just the COVID, but flu and other respiratory illnesses, other viruses.”

He advised everyone to “start refreshing” some of the precautionary measures such as masking and social distancing to minimize the spread -- and to stay home if you aren't feeling well as what may be thought of as a bad cold could actually be COVID.

In Genesee County to date, there have been 7,310 positive cases, with 222 currently in isolation and 15 of those active cases in the hospital. A total of 6,459 have recovered and been removed from isolation, while, unfortunately, there have been 135 deaths, he said.

The average seven-day positivity rate in Genesee County is around 8.1 percent.

As far as vaccination rates are concerned, in Genesee County, 64.6 percent of the population has received at least one dose and 58.6 have received the completed series, he said. The highest percentage is in the 65-74 age range – 83 percent.

As far as breakthrough cases in Genesee County, Pettit said 445 of the 1,891 new cases (23.5 percent) from Aug. 1 through Nov. 1 were contracted by those who had been fully vaccinated.

BOOSTER SHOTS

Booster shots of all three vaccines are available and the ability to “mix and match” is an option, Pettit said.

“So, depending on what vaccine you may have received the first time around, if you want to try something different that has been approved and has been shown to be safe, you are able to move to a different vaccine,” he said. “Again, that's completely up to the individual.”

Parameters that govern when people can get the booster shots exist, depending upon the brand of the shot being administered, he added. That information is available on the GO Health website -- GO Health - Genesee & Orleans Public Health Departments (gohealthny.org)

Pettit said the Moderna booster is a half-dose, while Pfizer and J&J are full doses.

“The booster shots are currently recommended now, especially with the Delta variant circulating,” he said.

Third doses, which are different from boosters, have been available since late August, Pettit said, and are recommended for those with compromised immune systems.

Vaccinations are being administered by the health department on Wednesdays in Genesee County and Thursdays in Orleans County. Testing (BinaxNOW, not PCR) is done on Fridays in Genesee and on Tuesdays in Orleans.

Previously: Pettit: County health department COVID booster shot clinics to begin Wednesday; about 120 signed up

The Town of Batavia’s money management policies are having a significant impact upon its bottom line, so much so that it is being recognized by the Pittsford firm that has helped guide the municipality’s investments in recent years.

At Wednesday night’s Special Town Board meeting at the Town Hall on West Main Street Road, Alex DeRosa, relationship specialist with CashVest by three+one, presented the town with the “90+ CashVest Award” which is given to public entities that received a CashVest score of 90 or higher for four consecutive quarters.

“This score takes into consideration everything from the way the town receives payments, makes payments, what you're doing with your cash while it's at the bank, ensuring you have the appropriate bank account structure and a fair banking relationship,” DeRosa said. “The town has hit this mark above 90, not only just for four quarters, but for actually more than eight quarters consecutively.”

DeRosa said the town has gone “above and beyond the normal line of duty.”

“I don't think there's anything in legislation or law that states a town must do everything they can to maximize the value of cash; it just seems like the right thing to do,” he said. “But over the past 18 months, we've actually seen audits from the New York State Comptroller on some small towns, villages and school districts that really gave those towns a red mark on their audit saying they didn't go out and try to maximize value, they did not talk to multiple things, they did not have cash flow forecasts into the future.

“And that's the type of thing that can make headline news, not only for finance staff, but the whole town board and the town as a whole. This work is appreciated by three+one because of our mission. And it should be appreciated by every taxpayer in the Town of Batavia, that you all are going above and beyond to consistently maximize that value.”

Town Supervisor Gregory Post said he believed the town has earned almost $300,000 in unanticipated interest on investments since contracting with three+one.

“… I don't have the numbers exactly in front of me, but I believe our last quarterly report shows that since our inception of working collaboratively on this account have realized nearly $300,000 in interest above and beyond what was anticipated or budgeted,” Post said. “So, that's real dollars and real cash that have assisted us in our migration through the COVID pandemic as well as into the 2022 fiscal year.”

Photo: Hiedi Librock, secretary to the Town of Batavia supervisor, accepts the 90+ CashVest Award from Alex DeRosa of CashVest by three+one. Photo by Alecia Kaus.

A public hearing regarding Local Law Introductory No. 6, which modifies the Genesee County Hotel and Motel Occupancy Tax Law to include Airbnb-type short-term lodging sites, has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at the Old County Courthouse in Batavia.

The Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday voted to set the public hearing as required by Municipal Home Rule Law while approving a resolution to replace the occupancy (or bed tax) law that initially was adopted as Local Law No. 2, Year 1995, and has been amended several times since then.

The current version is set to expire on Dec. 31 of this year.

County Attorney Kevin Earl said the primary changes focus on the number of units and the number of days in which properties are rented. The proposed amendments have been discussed at length by legislators and officials of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce in recent months, 

“Our current law only applies to six or more units," Earl said. "So, we eliminated that threshold to apply to single units. In other words, if somebody rented out their house, it would apply now. But they would have to do it for overnight accommodations and rent it out for more than 14 days in a year.”

Earl said the 14-day provision was put into the wording to exempt a homeowner who may rent his or her house occasionally, such as for a couple days or a week.

The restated law also includes a definition for booking companies, Earl said, notably Airbnb, Flipkey, Home Away, VRBO and Relators. The new law, if approved by the full legislature next week, would take effect on Jan. 1, 2022 and run through Dec. 31, 2024.

The revision certainly will increase the county’s bed tax income as these short-term, home-based properties would be subject to the 3 percent fee that already is added on to hotel/motel bills.

Exemptions to the fee include permanent residents for a period of occupancy in excess of 30 days; persons placed in a hotel or motel by the Department of Social Services, the Red Cross, Salvation Army or other similar organizations due to emergency housing needs; housing for indigent or homeless persons; or exempt organizations.

Earl told legislators that a formal agreement between the county and Airbnb is in the works as the revised law will result in greater responsibility of those renting out homes or similar facilities.

In a related development, the committee approved a resolution brought forth by Kevin Andrews, deputy county treasurer, to use up to $2,250 from the bed tax reserve to fund an audit on the amount of money generated in occupancy tax from local hotels. The Freed Maxick accounting firm has been selected to perform the audit.

Andrews said that, to his knowledge, an audit of this type has not been done before, and that the treasurer’s office will be providing records from three hotels in the county for the audit.

In other action, the Ways & Means Committee approved the following resolutions:

• An intermunicipal agreement between the county and City of Batavia to the Water Infrastructure Investment Act, which provides up to 40 percent of capital project costs in grants since it is the county’s responsibility to fund and provide for capital improvements at the City Water Treatment Plant.

County Engineer Tim Hens said the total cost of several planned projects at the plant are expected to be around $3.4 million, adding that the improvements are necessary to maintain production as the Countywide Water Project moves into Phase 3. He said the City of Batavia will act as the lead agency in the grant application process.

• Acquisition by the county of an easement of a parcel of land on the west side of the South Lyon Street bridge in the city in order to keep the replacement of the bridge on schedule. The bridge, which was constructed in 1910, is closed now and due to be replaced in 2022.

Hens said the county previously acquired properties at the four corners of the bridges, and the only easement remaining was an area “through the (Tonawanda) creek bed, along the west side of the bridge.”

He also said that, according to land records, no individual owns the parcel in question.

“So, you’re essentially acquiring an easement from an unknown entity or not an entity at all,” he said. “It’s a very hard thing to describe.”

After discussions with New York State officials, Hens said acquiring the easement – equating it to using eminent domain on an unknown owner -- would be the fastest way to put the county in position to replace the bridge.  

• The appointment of Chad Brade of Oakfield to fill an unexpired term as county coroner until Dec. 31, 2022.

• The appointment of Chandy Kemp to the Genesee County Economic Development Center board of directors through June 30, 2024, replacing Amy Vanderhoof, who resigned on Sept. 28.

Previously: Lawmakers continue to ponder whether to impose a bed tax on internet lodging booking agencies

Categorizing five potential projects as “long-standing critical needs,” Genesee Community College President Dr. James Sunser today requested that Genesee County enter into a 50-50 agreement with New York State to fund up to $3.4 million that would be required to complete all of the work.

Speaking at the County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee meeting at the Old County Courthouse, Sunser outlined five projects that he said are part of the college’s Facilities Master Plan approved by the GCC Board of Trustees, and submitted to the Genesee County and to the Dormitory Authority of New York State.

“They’re all under that plan that would allow for 50 percent funding from the state should our local sponsor, Genesee County, approve those plans and commit a similar amount,” he said, adding that the five plans fall into the college’s “deferred maintenance type of issues.”

Under the college’s proposal, the county and the state each would contribute $1.7 million upon completion of all five projects.

Sunser said these projects aren’t new construction, but items that “we have long-standing need for that we’re looking to work on.”

Specifically, the five initiatives proposed are as follows (with the county, if approved, paying for half of the total cost listed):

-- Replacement of the soccer/lacrosse turf on the field adjacent to the Richard C. Call Arena (Total cost $950,000).

Sunser said the field was part of a previous capital project sponsored by Genesee County.

“What we're talking about replacing is not the facility itself, not the underpinnings of it, not the lighting and the electrical, it's merely the covering -- the surface of the field that is now going on 13 years old and had the expected lifecycle of about 10 years,” he said.

He noted that the field will be used for a women’s national soccer tournament starting next Wednesday – an event that will include the GCC squad.

-- Replacement of the cooling tower (Total cost $410,000).

Sunser said the cooling tower handles the cooling for all of the college’s original buildings -- through the original buildings and into the Conable Technology Center.

“That cooling tower is well past its useful life … and that does need replacing at this point. And we're asking for some assistance in doing that,” he said.

-- Renovation of a connective corridor (Total cost $180,000).

Sunser said the corridor connects the original buildings from the cafeteria areas into the fine arts building and theater, adding that he believes the initial design was “flawed.”

“And it's been a long-standing issue where the entrance on both sides of that connecting corridor is below the building levels,” he said, causing water backup and icing in that area. “That’s been one of the areas that we find that we have slip and falls periodically throughout the winter.”

-- Replacement of the Conable Technology Building parking lot (Total cost $800,000).

“That’s our oldest lot now on campus, and it also has an area that is prone to some icing and some issues, and another area we have documented claims against the college for slip and falls,” Sunser said. “The drainage is much like what was in the drainage and the other lots before we've made those improvements during the last major capital plan on campus.”

That particular lot measures 95,000 square feet and is approximately 17 years old.

-- Complete roof replacement on the Technology Building (Total cost $1,060,000).

The structure was built in 2000 and the 26,000-square foot roof has been developing leaks due to end of life failures in stress points, according to the project justification report.

When looking at the big picture, Sunser said if the projects are approved by Genesee County, they can be submitted to the state in the current budget cycle.

“It has been indicated from SUNY (State University of New York) that there would be receptivity to those at this point,” he said. “If they’re approved, then we can work along with the county and the legislature in the future to determine when they'll actually be handled as far as the work being done.”

When asked about the impact to the county’s 2022 budget, Sunser said, “I would imagine that traditionally the counties when they've gone up for bonding on projects, that this would get incorporated into that plan as well.”

Legislator Gary Maha brought up that the county has already committed to spending $70 million for a new jail and that another nearly $2 million is “kind of hard to swallow in one year.”

Sunser said he could “appreciate” that, adding that GCC leaders are “working as hard as we can to take as much pressure off the county as we can – in terms of critical maintenance.”

“These are all long-standing critical needs as far as the infrastructure of the campus. And one of the things that we've been really focused on over the past year is that everywhere we've had the ability to use appropriately (specialized) funds to reinvest in the facilities of the campus, we’ve done that.”

However, he said he viewed the projects as investing in a county partnership facility that you can, I hope, rest assured that the college has been investing in -- in good faith right along -- to try to make sure that we don't have these kind of going back to the old Fram oil filter and pennywise, pound foolish type of mentality. And we've done quite a bit over the course of the summer -- investment in the facility wherever we could to take pressure off the county and not have to make these kind of requests.”

At that point, Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein said lawmakers were not prepared to make a decision today, but would discuss it further.

“We do have your numbers,” she said. “We appreciate the fact that you're here, and if you have any other questions, we will get them (answers) to you.”

This summer, the legislature approved a $2.6 million contribution to GCC for 2021-22 -- an amount that represents about 7 percent of the college's $37.4 million budget. County Manager Matt Landers said that percentage is one of the lowest in the state for counties that support community colleges.

Sessler Environmental Services of Rochester will be at the Ellicott Station project site for the next few weeks to tear down the former Soccio & Della Penna and Santy's Tire Sales buildings on Ellicott Street in the City of Batavia.

“This building (Soccio & Della Penna, photos at top) knockdown should take about a week to knock it down and load it out," John Christman said today. "And the Santy’s Tires will be probably another two weeks from today.”

Christman is Sessler's project manager for the Santy's portion of the demolition.

He said the demo of the Santy’s building won't start for a couple weeks – not until the Soccio & Della Penna structure comes down. The garage on the property has been razed.

The photo at the bottom shows a building that will remain -- earmarked for renovation as part of the $22.5 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative mixed-use venture being developed by Savarino Companies of Buffalo.

Plans call for construction of a five-story apartment building with 55 new, modern workforce housing units, as well as a brewery, restaurant/beer garden and potential further development on 3.31 acres. It is expected to create 20 jobs in the city’s downtown area.

Photos by Mike Pettinella.

 

Preliminary (unofficial) results per the Genesee County Board of Elections -- contested races:

Batavia City Council-At-Large  (Top three are elected)

Eugene A.Jankowski Jr., Republican - 1,143                

Jeremy W. Karas, Republican - 1,118            

F. Robert Bialkowski, Republican - 1,032                 

Erica B. O’Donnell. Democrat, Families of Batavia - 609                   

Bethany Town Justice  (Top two are elected)

Joseph Nowakowski, Republican, Legal Party - 248                  

Jeff Wolak, Republican  - 226              

Peggy Johnson, Justice - 106        

Nichole Szymkowiak, Justice -- 81           

Town of Bergen Town Council  (Top two are elected)

James S. Starowitz, Republican - 561               

Teresa F. Whalin, Republican  - 511 

Anne M. Sapienza, Democrat, Conservative, WOR - 232                     

Town of Byron Town Supervisor  (Top vote getter is elected)

Peter N. Yasses, Republican - 283                

Gerald L. Heins, Byron Ind. - 248                 

Le Roy Town Council   (Top two are elected)

David R. Paddock, Republican, Conservative -- 930                

Bill Fox, Conservative - 792       

Robert E. Fussell, Democrat - 528                 

Ronald B. Pangrazio, Republican -- 501   

Sarah Krzemien, Democrat - 329            

Le Roy Town Justice (Top vote getter is elected)

Tom Feeley (write-in, Republican) -- 700

Carol DiFrancisco, Democrat -- 638          

Town of Pembroke Town Council   (Top two are elected)

Edward G. Arnold Jr., Republican - 687             

K. Warren Clark, Republican - 588

Helen Trowbridge Hanes, Democrat, Independence - 247

Uncontested Genesee County vote totals:

County Judge & Surrogate -- Melissa Cianfrini -- 8,037

District Attorney -- Kevin Finnell -- 7,490

County Coroner -- Wade Schwab -- 7,076; John Peck -- 6,793

County Legislature -- 1st District Chad Klotzbach -- 630; 3rd, Gordon Dibble -- 1,266; 5th, Rochelle Stein, 1,262; 9th, Gary Maha, 412

CLICK HERE for complete Genesee County election results -- marked as unofficial. 

By Tim Bojarski for Batavia Downs

Due to a lack of entries, the management of Batavia Downs and the Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association have announced that pending approval from the New York State Gaming Commission, live racing on Friday (Nov. 5) and Friday (Nov. 12) will be canceled. The draw scheduled today for Friday (Nov. 5) was not held and there will be no draw for Friday (Nov. 12).

With that schedule change in place, the condition sheet will also change to ensure everyone who does enter still gets raced. All top trot classes that normally race on Friday will be moved to Saturday and the remainder of the Friday classes will be moved to Wednesday, and both moves are for the remainder of the meet.

Also please note that due to the Breeders Cup races this Saturday (Nov. 6), Batavia Downs live racing post time will be moved to 3:15 p.m. to accommodate the simulcast.

Updated, 12 p.m. Nov. 4:

Here is the schedule of Section V football semifinal playoff games in Class B, C and D and 8-Man:

CLASS B

No. 3 Wayne at No. 2 Batavia, 7 p.m. Friday

No. 4 Dansville/Wayland-Cohocton at No. 1 Honeoye Falls Lima, 7 p.m. Friday

Finals: Nov. 13, 6 p.m., at Pittsford Sutherland High School

CLASS C

No. 3 Haverling at No. 2 Le Roy, noon Saturday

No. 5 Letchworth/Warsaw/Perry at No. 1 East Rochester/Gananda, 7 p.m. Friday

Finals: Nov. 13, noon, at Honeoye Falls-Lima High School

CLASS D

No. 3 Alexander at No. 2 Avon, 7 p.m. Friday

No. 5 Caledonia-Mumford/Byron-Bergen at No. 1 Oakfield-Alabama, 7 p.m. Friday

Finals: Nov. 12, 7 p.m., at Van Detta Stadium, Batavia

EIGHT-MAN

No. 3 Pembroke vs. No. 2 Red Jacket at Canandaigua Academy, 7 p.m. Friday

Finals: Nov. 13, noon, at Caledonia-Mumford High School

It’s full speed ahead for the dispensation of COVID-19 booster shots at the Genesee & Orleans Health Departments.

Public Health Director Paul Pettit, speaking at the Genesee County Legislature’s Human Services Committee meeting this afternoon, said GO Health will be conducting its first booster clinic on Wednesday of this week – offering Modern, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer doses.

For Genesee County residents, that means traveling to the health department offices at County Building 2, 3837 West Main St. Rd.

“Booster shots are open for everybody now … and we have about 120 people signed up for the morning (on Wednesday) already – and that’s all Moderna,” Pettit said. “So, that’s obviously leading to some additional demand. But most of our pharmacies are vaccinating, so people are able to go there, usually 9 (a.m.) to 9 (p.m.).”

Specifics of the three booster vaccinations, all at no charge, are as follows:

• Moderna – 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Registration deadline, Nov. 3; appointments are limited). Open to those 18 and older with booster eligibility, including previous full vaccination with Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J. This Moderna booster shot registration must be at least six months after receiving the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer, or at least two months after receiving a single dose of J&J.  You also must meet other eligibility requirements associated with age, work, or underlying health conditions as seen at: https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/booster-doses.

• Pfizer – 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. (Registration deadline: Nov. 3; appointments are limited). Open to those 18 and older with booster eligibility, including previous full vaccination with Pfizer, Moderna or J&J. This Pfizer booster shot registration must be at least six months after receiving the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or at least two months after receiving a single dose of J&J.  You also must meet other eligibility requirements associated with age, work, or underlying health conditions as seen at: https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/booster-doses.

• Johnson & Johnson – 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. (Registration deadline: Nov. 3; appointments are limited). Open to those 18 and older with booster eligibility, including previous full vaccination with J&J, Pfizer, or Moderna. This J&J booster shot registration must be at least two months after receiving a single dose of J&J, or at least six months after receiving the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer.  You also must meet other eligibility requirements associated with age, work, or underlying health conditions as seen at: https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/booster-doses.

In all cases, proof of identity and original vaccination card (or other proof of your original full vaccination) will be required at the time of your appointment.

Pettit also said he expects to hear soon, possibly tomorrow, that the childhood vaccine for 5-11-year-olds has been approved.

“We’re ramping up and preparing to do some childhood vaccines, probably starting next week, if we get the vaccine in later this week,” he said. “We're going to be running those clinics kind of late afternoon/early evening to afford parents the opportunity to get home from work and come to the clinic if they want.

“Again, the primary focus with that age group, though, is not really to come to us. We'd rather have them go to their pediatrician, where there's a little more comfort and familiarity. Obviously, for those that have gotten child vaccines at that age, sometimes (it's) a little more tricky, especially in a mass setting …"

When asked about people “mixing and matching” the booster shots, Pettit said, “It’s really the ‘Wild Wild West’ on that.”

“I guess if you want to change it up and try something different,” he said. “I'm going to stick with what I got the first time because well, frankly, Moderna is holding up the best of all three.”

Pettit suggested that people speak with their doctors about whether they should switch from what they received the first time. He acknowledged that many people have switched from J&J because that vaccine “has held up probably the least over time now against the Delta variant.”

He said that most of the breakthrough cases (people getting COVID after being vaccinated) are with the J&J vaccine.

“They (J&J) probably should have just done two shots to start with,” he said. “Their two shots basically are the same efficacy as two shots of Moderna or Pfizer. But I think they wanted to offer a simpler path.”

On related topics, Pettit offered the following:

• Hospital bed capacity.

“As we get in the cold or flu season, you're going to get more and more people come in. I mean, obviously, what they'll (hospitals) start doing is backing off on elective surgeries and things to try to free up more bed capacity. You know, unfortunately, we're heading into the time when we get more access needs to the emergency room and bed capacities.”

• Current COVID cases.

“Cases are holding fairly steady – we had a little bit of an uptick, I think, over the weekend, compared to where we were last few weekends. But overall, we're averaging around 25 to 30 new cases a day, and on average around 200 or more as far as active cases of folks on isolation.

“Regionally, most people saw a pretty significant increase over the weekend with active cases. So, I mean, it could be attributed to people coming indoors; things closing up – getting a little colder out. You may recall last year, actually, Halloween-ish kicked off a lot of the activity; we had low numbers pretty much through most of October. And then once we got to Halloween, gatherings and parties and things  started happening, and we started seeing an increase in numbers.”

• Nattural immunity.

“The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) does not recognize natural antibodies for the purposes of avoiding vaccination or for avoiding quarantines, you know, unfortunately. And I think the reason for that is typically we develop antibodies for certain strains. If you have the alpha variant, it may be less effective versus new strains but still affords protection similar to the vaccines, especially in preventing severity of illness.  

“There's a lot of debate over natural immunity versus the vaccines … it's kind of a controversial thing, because, you know, I think it's debatable, one way or the other … I think they've shown -- that the data shows -- that the vaccines provide better protection than natural immunity in this case with COVID, just due to the new variant, especially so. But if you had the Delta variant, I mean, you have immunity from it."

• New vaccine technology.

“I think this is really when you look at the way they were able to produce this vaccine so quickly. I mean, it's really due to the technology. And I mean, there's a lot of talk now to start using the mRNA approach for flu vaccines and other things. You know, if you think about the window, when they make a flu vaccine, you're looking at what was circulating over in Asia and China -- like coming off in January, February. I mean, they can wait now until April or May, and get the mutations in there, and they can produce a vaccine in a month or a couple months, You're going to get a better efficacy out of that vaccine.”

The “new normal” has become a reality for the Park Road Reconstruction Project.

Tom Lichtenthal, assistant engineer for the Town of Batavia, this morning said the start of the $4.077 million renovation of Park Road between Route 63 (Lewiston Road) and Route 98 (Oak Street) has been pushed back until next spring due to supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is the result of COVID, just like we’ve seen for the last year and a half to two years in trying to get materials,” Lichtenthal said. “It’s the new normal, if you will, and it was not unexpected.”

During a pre-construction meeting last week with representatives of general contractor Catco (Concrete Applied Technologies Corp.) Construction of Alden, Lichtenthal learned that the pipe for the watermain won’t be delivered for another 12 weeks.

“That pushes the start out to mid-January, which is not a good time for this type of work,” he said. “Installation of the pipe is still the first order of business, but it’s likely delayed until the spring of 2022.”

Lichtenthal said the late start is not expected to extend the timeline for the project’s completion, which has been set for December 2022.

The scope of the work includes installation of new pavement, curbs and curbing from Lewiston Road to Richmond Avenue with sidewalks on both sides of Park Road; overlaying of pavement and installation of sidewalks on one side of the road from Richmond Avenue to Route 98, and installation of new water lines and street lights on Park Road between Route 63 and Richmond Avenue.

Previously: WROTB, Town of Batavia agree on Park Road items

Previously: Town board OKs measures to support Park Road project

In the eyes of City of Batavia Fire Captain Greg Ireland, his department made a wise and potentially life-saving decision to join the Public Safety Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative in Genesee County.

Ireland, speaking at the GOW Opioid Task Force meeting via Zoom earlier this month, said access to a specially-built foyer in front of the fire headquarters on Evans Street for those struggling with substance use has made a big difference – not only for those individuals who are seeking help but also for the fire department personnel assigned to support them.

The Task Force, in conjunction with the Greater Rochester Health Foundation and Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, hosted a public event at the fire station this summer to welcome the City of Batavia FD into the fold – joining the City of Batavia and Village of Le Roy police departments and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

The City of Batavia FD is the first fire department in the state to be a part of the PAARI network.

Ireland (photo at right) said that by educating them about substance use and addiction, firefighters learned to understand what some people are going through.

“There were some in our department who said they didn’t want those people in our building; that they didn’t want to deal with addicts,” he said. “Through education, that was a very easy hurdle to change. Educating our firefighters and employees to the opioid crisis.”

PERCEPTIONS HAVE CHANGED

He also said a key factor in the education process was when a GCASA peer advocate came to the fire department and met with every one of the firefighters.

“That really bridged that gap. They were able to see that these are real people who have real struggles and eventually can be successful,” he said.

Ireland, in thanking the GRHF for a grant that made it possible, pointed to the secure area for PAARI intake at the building’s front door as overcoming another hurdle.

“We were able to build a double-door foyer for intake now, and that’s where the process starts,” he said. “But a firefighter is assigned to stay with that person from the minute they walk in until the peer counselor from GCASA arrives.”

Ireland took on the role as coordinator of the PAARI program for the department after learning the success the Chatham Police Department had in starting several years ago. The initial thought of Chatham organizers was to reduce petty crime by taking those with substance use disorder off the street by getting them help.

“Think about these folks who have that substance use disorder, and they’ll basically take from anything to feed their habit,” he said. “So, what they found is that by eliminating the people with substance use disorder in his community, they reduced the petty crime – theft and things of that nature because people weren’t stealing to buy drugs. That was the whole goal of this program. It reduces crime and there’s some scientific evidence to prove that.”

Ireland said medics use special business cards – printed with “Addiction is not a crime, it’s a disease” and “Help is available 24/7” – when responding to calls involving drug use.

“We will leave the cards on the kitchen table as we leave,” he said. “Our hope is someday maybe they will pick that up, see it and maybe it’s the right time for them to accept the help.”

NON-ARREST PATHWAYS TO TREATMENT

PAARI’s mission is to provide training, guidance, support, and resources to help law enforcement agencies nationwide create non-arrest pathways to treatment and recovery.

It was founded by the Gloucester (Mass.) Police Department along with the Angel Program in June 2015 – creating a simple, stigma-free entry point to treatment and reframing addiction as a disease.

Under this program, those struggling with substance use can go to the law enforcement agency 24/7 and receive help, stigma-free, GOW Opioid Task Force Coordinator Christen Ferraro said.

“What that means is that an officer will meet them at the door and they will help them to get the help that they need,” she said. “If they have drugs on them, police or fire officials will dispose of those drugs for them, they will connect them with the resources for treatment and recovery, and kind of be that first entry point to getting help.”

One of those resources is the support of a GCASA peer support advocate – a team player, often in recovery, who steps into the role of providing a bridge between providers and clients that facilitates the medical and psychosocial care of the client.

Rob Shields, who spoke during the meeting, is one of those people.

MAKING CONNECTIONS IS THE KEY

“As someone in recovery, I wish that I knew about a program like this due to the fact that I might have not gone through the struggles that I went through,” Shields said before explaining his responsibilities.

He said that those struggling with substance use need someone they can connect with – someone who can relate to their situation.

“A peer advocate or peer support advocate emphasizes their support for the peer they're working with,” he said. “They connect with the peer and fight for what they need. Peer advocates can be found next to peers in court. They help them come up with coping skills and ways to monitor their own progress.”

Shields (photo at right) emphasized that substance dependency can be “a scary place.”

“You get to the point where you don’t know where to turn, and you don’t know who to talk to. You’re in so deep, that nothing else matters in your life,” he explained. “You think that people won’t give you the time of day, but with the PAARI program you have people that are there to support you and connect you to the resources to help you on your road to recovery.”

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Along with the options of going to the agencies mentioned above, other avenues for those seeking help with substance use disorder are the 24/7 telephone hotline -- CARE + CRISIS / WYO CO CRISIS 585-283-5200 / PEER PHONE LINE 585-815-1800 -- and GCASA’s The Recovery Station at 5256 Clinton Street Rd., Batavia.

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for GCASA.