Apparent smoke from the wildfires in Canada created a haze over the Tonawanda Creek on Friday morning. Photo by Howard Owens.
So this is what life has come to for much of upstate New York: checking the air quality reports every couple of days and having a good scientific expert on speed dial.
At least that’s how it is for The Batavian, with air levels reaching up past 150 for Western New York the last few days, signaling a red zone of “unhealthy.”
That seems to be the ongoing response from city and county officials in the aftermath of an announcement by CEO Samuel Savarino that his company will be ceasing operations and laying off its employees.
Savarino is the developer of Ellicott Station, the four-story apartment complex touted as an economic lifesaver for downtown Batavia and for working individuals and families in need of an affordable, quality and safe place to live.
That economic vision was blurred earlier this year when the online rental application indicated income requirements of very low to low ranges, seemingly squelching the notion that the units would indeed be for workforce individuals. The Batavian had reached out to Savarino requesting details about a lottery that awarded rentals to 55 tenants. He wasn’t privy to such information, he had said at the time.
The Batavian was the first and only news source to report on the apparent requirements and changes in income at Ellicott Station. You can help community-minded local reporting continue by joining Early Access Pass.
Greenside Cannabis, in partnership with Dank, Buffalo’s first licensed adult-use dispensary, and Empire Hemp Co., is thrilled to announce the WNY Cannabis Growers Showcase.
This unique event will be hosted at Empire Hemp Co.'s retail CBD store, 204 E. Main St., in Batavia, NY, beginning on August 29