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Press Release:

The Jerome Foundation is seeking nominations for the Health and Humanitarian Award of Genesee County. This will be the 38th year the award has been presented. 

The first award was presented to Dr. Sydney McLouth. Award winners for the past four decades have included healthcare workers, builders, teachers, and many community volunteers.

The award recognizes outstanding men and women whose volunteer efforts have improved the physical, emotional or spiritual well-being of the greater Genesee County area. 

“We are fortunate to have many caring and committed volunteers devoted to the sick or to those in need, and helping build a stronger, healthier community for all of us”, said Justin Calarco-Smith, president of The Jerome Foundation.

Nomination forms are available online at www.thejeromefoundation.org or by calling 585-356-3419. Organizations or individuals may nominate candidates. Consideration will be given to actual accomplishments achieved through volunteer service and subsequent improvements to quality of life. 

Nominations should be submitted on or before October 13. The 2023 award winner will be honored at a luncheon on Friday, December 1 at Terry Hills Restaurant.

A request for $100,000 in funding for the purchase of a motel for transitional housing by John Bennett of UConnect Care, was fairly quickly moved onto Wednesday’s Ways & Means meeting after Genesee County Legislator Marianne Clattenburg voiced concerns about what she deemed questionable use of taxpayer funds Monday.

Bennett, chief executive officer of the longtime-named agency Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse and recently renamed UConnect Care, laid out his case for using grant funds that are earmarked for opioid-related purposes to purchase The Attican, a 29-unit motel in Genesee County. 

Perched at the top of a hill at 11180 Alexander Road, the motel would serve the needs of the agency by housing singles and single parents with small children in need of safe housing while they are transitioning from rehab for anywhere from a few days for up to three months, Bennett said during Monday’s Human Services meeting.

Bennett said that he’s got funding of $600,000 from grants, $100,000 from GCASA, or UConnect, and is requesting $100,000 from Genesee County to top it off for the total $800,000. His proposal will move to the Ways and Means meeting at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, which is chaired by Clattenburg.

The facility would probably operate with a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) and paid for with a five-year grant from UConnect, other resources and Genesee County, he said. 

“We plan to have a maintenance person living there. We’ve done our due diligence,” he said. “We maintain our properties. It’s a new adventure for me; it’s a little bit of a stretch, but it’s the right thing to do.”

His agency had a grant with some beds prior to COVID and the pandemic, and now no longer operates those, which were for crisis housing situations for folks to stay up to seven days, he said. 

There are people using The Attican for temporary housing now, which can get expensive, but it accommodates their current lifestyle, he said.

Legislator Gary Maha asked if Bennett would be returning at some point down the road to ask for more money. Bennett didn’t think that was the case, as most of the funding is in place for the purchase offer, and “we have the means for programming,” he said. 

He painted scenarios of a single mom with kids who may be struggling with other issues as well as drugs; individuals couch surfing without a stable home of their own; or other issues that make for an unsteady way of life.

Maha agreed that “you don’t see people sleeping under a bridge or under a park bench here; it’s different,” versus in larger cities where homelessness is literally on the streets. It’s more about unstable housing, Bennett said. 

“These guys will catch me in the parking lot and thank me. Having some crisis housing for people, it’s huge,” he said. “We have a lot of people that have been using our system for a long time … they put some sobriety together, struggle, and relapse. We’re that safe place for them to be.”

County Mental Health Director Lynda Battaglia offered her support for the idea, emphasizing that housing is an issue for lots of people, not just for those with addictions, but with mental health issues, coming out of the hospital, were homeless and now need a place to stay.

“They can go there. And we struggle with housing. We have a couple of respite beds that it's usually like a 30-day minimum stay. And those are full all the time, and we have a waitlist. So that individual is going out of the hospital, we have to work with DSS, we have to try to find something,” she said. “The thing about somebody that needs housing, and they're trying to recover, and they have mental health issues and all of these other issues just working against them somehow. It just sets the foundation for them to then take some additional steps forward to live a productive life, a healthy life.”

She asked Clattenburg how she thinks she would be able to begin all over again without anything. What would you do? Battaglia said.

Clattenburg pivoted to the housing ratio in the city of Batavia: 51 percent is rental versus 49 percent owner-occupied homes. 

“So if the grand plan is to change more housing, into supportive housing, and take a property off the tax rolls, and change the whole nature of this community, then you're not going to have my support. There has to be some give and take here,” Clattenburg said. "And now we're not going to have any women in Batavia, and it’s going to be all men. So I don't know what that does to the dynamic of the public safety atmosphere. Do you have a pilot in the city of Batavia for any of the other properties that you have, but you’re going to have a pilot for this one? That’s a whole other question.

“I mean, I understand that years ago, you know, you’d get this kind of crisis we’ve all had in a family, but this used to be part of the family’s thing. But now the government has replaced the family. So, I don't know how we ever get ahead of all of this. I just don't know,” Clattenburg said. “And I just don't know if throwing programs and programs and programs, that we're ever going to get there at some point. Myself, as a representative of this community, has to say no, we need to be thinking of our people too.”

Bennett and colleague Luke Granger said their purchase offer would be $800,000 for the motel. Clattenburg asked about its assessed value, which Granger said he thought was $297,000. 

The online assessment records actually state that it’s assessed at $292,000. Built-in 1984, the two-story property was last sold in 2006 for a net sale price of $300,000, and its taxable value is $292,000. 

Regardless of that discrepancy, Clattenburg seemed incredulous that they wanted to spend $900,000 (she was later corrected that the purchase offer was going to be $800,000) for property assessed at $297,000.

“I don’t think that’s a good use of taxpayer money,” she said. “I’m not anti-this organization, because I do think you do some good things. But I do think that there's some problems that I just can’t look the other way. I just want us to be aware of that. And to know that it's an issue in the city of Batavia.  And it's just so frustrating to have this be an issue in your organization for so long, and to go from one building to two to three, that, you know, all these services, and just, I’m sure it's heartbreaking to you too, that we just don't seem to be getting ahead of this, it just seems to be getting worse. And that’s the frustration.”

Bennett said that he has been doing this for “a very long time” and that it would be easier for him not to take on such a project at this point than to get involved. But he believes in the agency and its mission.

“People have feelings about us, and they either love us or hate us. We're pretty polarized. And the truth of it is we provide a very good service. And our organization has done very good work. We take good care of our properties in this community, we employ a ton of people, we have close to 200 employees that do the work, right, and now we're going to be in a motel unit,” he said. “But think about if you had the motel here and you had case management, so we're gonna teach management and people there to help people and to guide them and to also make sure that people aren't causing trouble. So I mean, it is more than just housing, too. It is other support services that these folks don't have right now. And so we’re it for them sometimes. And I know that, believe me, I know that there's a huge need out there for lots of people right now. So we're just trying to help our little piece of the world.”

After the meeting, Clattenburg said that she purposely attended this meeting to get more information about the plan for this purchase. “I just had a lot more questions,“ she said.

“And it wasn’t really answered the way I thought. So I’m just, I’m kind of stunned with the difference in the assessment and the price,” she said. You know, these are taxpayer funds, and we did go through a lawsuit to get funding to help with this crisis. I realized that these are the professionals who are giving us recommendations, but I think it’s our job to question things. And I’d like to know where we’re headed with this.”

The property is listed as for sale on LoopNet. That listing does not include an asking price. Realtor.com gives the estimated market value of the property as $970,343.

During the meeting, she raised the issue of the city of Batavia’s disparity of owner-occupied homes versus renters, at 49 percent to 51 percent, respectively, and fewer properties on the tax rolls. Taking The Attican off of Genesee County’s tax roll by converting it to a nonprofit housing entity is not something she wants to see.  The Batavian asked if she’s concerned about where we are with housing in the city.

“Absolutely,” she said. "I come from the perspective of being on council and being the council president, and seeing those issues come up. You know, it just seems like we are, with the Savarino property devolving into what it was, people want to live and work here and raise their families, and it feels like they're just getting pushed out of that. So I have to be here to advocate for everybody.”

Bennett said that the plan would not move forward without the county’s support. He would work with county Manager Matt Landers and wait to hear the outcome of the Ways & Means Committee meeting. 

If the committee agrees to the request, it will vote on a resolution that will go to the county Legislature for final approval. That will be to award the Genesee Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. (GCASA) $100,000 “to respond to the homeless housing crisis in the County with a focus on people with opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders,” according to the resolution, for the purchase of the motel known as The Attican.

Bennett said Monday that he had not yet spoken to the motel owner about an offer and purchase, as he had wanted to obtain approval for the county funding before doing so. The owner is listed as Aum Shree LLC. 

UConnectCare (formerly Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse) has promoted Christen Foley to the position of project director of the Western New York Prevention Resource Center.

The Batavia resident will oversee the implementation of training programs and technical assistance to community drug and alcohol prevention coalitions in the eight-county region. Foley, (photo at right), with the support of two community development specialists, is responsible for collaborating with the prevention providers, coalitions and community groups that make up the WNYPRC.

One of six prevention resource centers in New York State, the WNYPRC is based at UConnectCare’s offices on Clinton Street Road in Batavia and is an initiative of the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports.

Its focus is on engaging community stakeholders in the development of new coalitions and supporting established community coalitions as they work to reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Additionally, the center provides technical assistance, training and support to communities and coalition partners.

“The WNYPRC encourages the use of the Strategic Prevention Framework, which is a public health, outcome-based prevention approach,” Foley said. “This seven-phase approach helps coalitions assess the community’s needs and address them accordingly. The key is to respond appropriately by utilizing the data that reveals each community’s specific needs.”

Foley was hired by UConnectCare in 2019 to lead the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force. Her efforts helped expand the task force to various segments of the community and resulted in it receiving the 2020 Community Star from the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. The award is given annual to only one rural entity in New York State.

Shannon Ford, services director of Communications and Development and director of Prevention at UConnectCare, said Foley is “a natural fit” for the project director role.

“Christen was able to refine her community engagement skills with the GOW Opioid Task Force and will now be able to help community coalitions across the region,” Ford said. “Most people don’t understand the science behind substance use disorder prevention and coalition activities. Christen and her team will help community coalitions effectively reduce underage substance use using evidence based approaches.”

Foley has been attending trainings and workshops since her appointment to the new position in June, including the Foundation in Prevention Ethics Training and the CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute, the latter a four-day conference in Dallas.

“As a result, I will now be certified to host and facilitate the six-hour, in-person Foundations in Prevention Ethics course for our prevention providers, coalitions and community partners,” she said, adding that she also is working towards becoming a certified Substance Abuse Prevention Skill Training Trainer.

She said she plans to host an ethics training next year and will be working on establishing coalitions in Genesee and Orleans counties.\

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for UConnectCare.

Alabama Fire is responding to 2557 Towne Place, near Macomber Road, in Oakfield, for the report of smoke coming from a vacant house.

UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: A chief on scene reports nothing showing.

UPDATE 11:17 a.m.: Responders, which now includes an engine from Oakfield, can respond non-emergency.

Members of the Batavia, Warsaw, and Pembroke-Corfu-Darien (PCD) Kiwanis clubs recently celebrated their accomplishments — and more importantly the lives they have impacted — with two centennial and one golden jubilee gatherings, respectively, for the international organizations.

“I am always excited to introduce new people to Kiwanis,” said Gene Scherline, Lt. Gov. Designate Genesee Division, during their dinner at Terry Hills restaurant in Batavia. “I’ve been in Kiwanis for 43 years. It is a very exciting time to have people just starting on their journey. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.”

Founded on Jan. 21, 1915, in Detroit, Mich., by a group of businessmen networking in a social club. It soon morphed into a community service organization. Kiwanis in Rochester was the fourth club organized and the first in NewYork State.  Its first meeting was in the home of George Dixon, the first president of Kiwanis International. 

In 1916 Kiwanis became an international organization with the charter of the Kiwanis club in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. At that time, it  limited its membership to the United States and Canada until 1962 when worldwide expansion was approved. There are now Kiwanis in seven different countries around the world. In 1986 women were accepted into the organization as members.

“Batavia Kiwanis is a longstanding organization that has been around for more than 100 years,” said Crystal Benjamin-Bafford, Lt. Gov. Genesee Division. “The work that the officers do to keep the club's vision and always keep moving forward, to do all the activities they do, to file reports. We appreciate the folks who stand up and volunteer and want to do this, it’s not paid but often is like a second job.”

Officers inducted at Thursday’s event into the Batavia Kiwanis include Dave Rumsey, president; Reita Fletcher, president elect; Jim Dillon, vice president; Vicky Muckle, secretary; and Jon Tretter, treasurer.

“Batavia’s club started first and sponsored Warsaw’s club, then 50 years later started the PCD club. So they’re basically our offspring -- father, son, and grandson,” said Peter Guppenberger, a 21-year member of Kiwanis.

Benjamin-Bafford said that monthly reports “are super important for people like me.”

“So later on, if I have comments, we can look back and see how much we raised, and without you we cannot really understand how we serve the community and how we help.  What you are to us is represented on this pin; it’s ‘you are the right stuff’.”

Batavia Kiwanis President Dave Rumsey presented three special awards. 

“It is [my] hope that the continuity and perseverance that has allowed this club and the Warsaw club to maintain 100 years and the Pembroke-Corfu-Darien club 50 years to look towards the next 100 years," Rumsey said.

The Presidential Appreciation Award was presented to Jon Tretter for his tireless assistance with the finances of the club. Vicky Muckle was also presented with the Presidential Appreciation Award for her dedication and assistance as secretary. 

“Her communication skills kept me in the loop, and she puts on a great chicken barbecue,” Rumsey said. “If I had speed-dial capability, I would have this individual’s number right on top,” he said. “As a new president, when problems arise, I would make a call to discuss the matter and, with the information provided, make an informed decision. This individual is also assisting with the coordination of many signature events for this club.”

The 2023 Kiwanis of the Year Award, which has been presented to members since 1967, was awarded to Guppenberger.

“Peter does everything with enthusiasm and confidence, and I swear he knows everybody in the community,” Rumsey said.

Legion of Honor and Merit awards are presented to those who have notable longevity within the Kiwanis clubs. As Guppenberger noted, the awards are significant because they chose not to give their time to their community but because they chose to invest their time in their community. 

“There’s a difference between giving and investing,” Guppenberger said.

The Legion of Merit recognizes those members who have at least five years and up to 20 years of consecutive membership.  This year’s recipients for members with five years up to 20 years are: Rumsey, five years; Jocelyn Sikorski, 10 years; Sue Maha, 10 years; and Mark Lewis, 15 years. Both Lewis and Sikorski are past presidents.

The Legion of Honor recognizes those members who have at least 25 years of consecutive membership. This year’s recipients are: Frank Ciaccia, 25 years; Gary Maha, 35 years; Patricia Forsyth, 35 years; George Arnold, 35 years; and Eric Adams, 45 years. Maha, Arnold and Adams are all past presidents, and Forsyth is a past secretary.

Warsaw Kiwanis, also celebrating 100 years, inducted new officers, including Lindsey Rissinger, president; Kevin Carlson, vice president; Gwen Carlson, secretary; and Richard Humphrey, treasurer.

Members inducted into the PCD Kiwanis, which is celebrating 50 years, include John Drogi, president; Penny Arnold, vice president; Debbie Krenzer-Lewter, secretary; and past Lt. Gov. Pat Weissend, treasurer.

The lifeblood of any organization is getting new members, they said. PCD had the opportunity to induct two new members in its organization: Casey Stocking and Megan Tocha.

“The hierarchy of Kiwanis exists because of its members,” said Lucien Giancursio, NY District Governor Designate. “Two new members mean two new people who have joined us. So you look around the room right now, and this is your family, this is who you turn to. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions. Because it’s the membership that makes things happen. It’s the members of Kiwanis who do the work. Leadership starts at the club and moves its way outward.”

The name Kiwanis stems from Nun Keewanis, an expression of a Native American tribe in the Detroit area where the organization was founded. It is loosely translated to “we serve.”

According to the International Kiwanis Club Website, Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time. 

“You’ll find clubs all around,” Guppenberger said. “You drive into town, and you see the ‘K’, and that means there’s a group of people that want to help that community. And everybody does things a little differently. It just depends on who the members are. The members drive the club. You’ve got a board of directors – a president, vice president and whatnot – and other members who all come together to come up with ideas on how to help the community - how to help the kids - with fundraisers like dinners and other events.” 

Part of Kiwanis is service, yet members are also getting together, having fun and building relationships, Warsaw Kiwanis Vice President Kevin Carlson said.

During its infancy, Kiwanis was a group of businessmen networking and servicing the community through volunteer work. However, over the past century, the organization has grown to be a real community-based organization.

“While there may be one or two members who actually work in the Pembroke area,” said John Drogi, PCD president. “The rest of us are community members. We are just people who want to make an impact in the community.”

Drogi joined the Batavia club in 1999 and, in 2009, joined the PCD club.

Currently, in Batavia, one of the projects is funding the Books for Babies program facilitated through the Richmond Memorial Library in conjunction with the hospital (United Memorial Medical Center). So when babies are born, they’re enrolled in a program through the library to encourage early reading.

Kiwanis Park, built in 1976, was a joint effort between Batavia Kiwanis and the town of Batavia. 

The Warsaw Kiwanis help raise money for the children's playground at Warsaw Village Park on Liberty Street in the village. The club helped get the project started and recruited other community members to help bring the playground into fruition. 

Events like the recent car show put on by PCD raised funds for projects such as Dolly Parton’s Books for Kids. Participants receive one book a month until they are five years old. The project was inspired by a member who worked for the health department in early childhood intervention, where she noticed many of the kids didn’t have books during home visits.

“We’ve been doing this for about six months and have around 70 kids signed up already,” Droji said. 

“That’s part of joining the club,” Carlson said. “You bring your ideas. Some get accepted, some don’t get accepted, but don’t get let down. It can be brought up again, and maybe it can get done.  A big part is enthusiasm. We have an enthusiastic group right here, and you can get a lot done.”

That’s the idea behind it. One may have an idea but think, “How am I going to get it done?” If one is a member of an organization like Kiwanis, it’s not just one person trying to get something accomplished. There is a group of people ready to help get a project done. According to Guppenberger, if it's an idea that resonates with the members, they will do everything to get it done.

To encourage future members, Kiwanis also has a presence in area schools, grades four through 12, via Service Leadership Programs (SLP). They include: the ‘K’ Kids, fourth through sixth grades; Builders Club, middle school; and the Key Club for high school students. There is also a club at the college level for those who are physically challenged.

“The kids run the programs. They decide what they are going to do,” Guppenberger said. “It’s building leadership; building service. They have their own officers, their own fundraisers, all under the umbrella of Kiwanis International.”

Initiated by Ashton Caney, the Batavia Kiwanis received its charter on Feb. 23, 1923, with 56 members of businessmen. Note ‘businessmen,’ said Guppenberger. 

“It has certainly changed since then, for the better, I may add,” he said. “We are honored and fortunate to have the second ever female inducted in the Kiwanis Club here tonight — Patricia Forsyth, who became a member in 1987.”

Since then, there have been approximately 12 female presidents in their clubs. The clubs at the time were mainly men’s clubs. It was “the old boys” club stereotype, says Forsyth. Yet women were just as much in business as men were.

The main focus is still service in the community; it is the backbone and strength of the Kiwanis community, members said. You are joining an organization that is dedicated and serving the local needs of the community and having fun doing it. 

City Council President Eugene Jankowski and Vice-Chair Genesee County Legislator Marianne Clattenburg read proclamations exalting the efforts of the Batavia club.

“I just want to say, as a lifelong resident of Batavia, I am the benefit of one of your investments. As a youth, I played in sports, and you guys supported our community way back when and has kept me out of trouble,” Jankowski said. “It kept me on the ball field instead of other activities. Thank you for that.”

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia is included in those community service projects in sponsorship of sports, construction and development of the many community parks, the Fresh Air Program, and three Richard Rung Memorial Scholarships a year. The scholarships are offered to graduating seniors at Batavia High, Notre Dame High School, and Genesee Valley BOCES.

The Fresh Air program was created to bring sponsored children from the cities to the country for a week, explained Clattenburg. In addition to sponsoring the development of Kiwanis Park in the town of Batavia, the club helped to convert the park so that it offers specialized equipment for children with developmental disabilities.

The Kiwanis Club offered holiday totes at Christmastime to families in need throughout the city, school district, and St. Joe's from 2015 to 2019. Totes included a holiday meal, books, mittens, and hats for each child, as well as supporting the Autism Trail at Letchworth (State Park) through fundraising efforts.

“I always thought 50 years was a long time,” said Ed Arnold, one of the founding members of the PCD club. “Doesn’t seem that long. When I think back on how great it is to have this many people ... Hank is the one who really pushed it for all of us to make it happen, and Hank did nothing but give a million percent to make sure that everybody would come [to meetings]. 

“The meals that he would give us… and it was every Tuesday night. Hank is gone. Greenwoods restaurant is gone - and the changes we have had. But you people should be so proud of what is here from 50 years ago of what it was.”

Guppenberger read a list of the Batavia club’s services, supports, and projects with the speed of an auctioneer, periodically taking a breath and asking the audience if he had forgotten anything from the scroll-like list of services, supportive efforts and projects. Most significantly, the club raised more than a quarter-million dollars for the Justice for Children Advocacy Center to be renovated.

“One of our sponsored clubs was the Golden K,” he said. “We used to do the Golden Olympics for I can’t remember how many years. All the county nursing homes, patients who wanted to participate, would come to Batavia, and we had the Golden Olympics and gave out ribbons, and the patients would put their ribbons on their beds. They were so proud of them. 

“We had a beanbag toss, bowling, wheelchair races and all kinds of crazy stuff like that. Unfortunately, it became difficult to continue the games because there wasn’t enough staff to bring the residents in. It was a cool thing to do, and as a kid, I loved helping my dad out with the Golden Olympics.”

Lucien Giancursio, NY District Governor Designate, congratulated the three clubs for their respective milestones.

“We are here because people were here before us,” he said. “So let's be the people here for someone behind us.”

Photos by Julia Ferrini.

Summer highlights of the 60s included going to the neighborhood park, swimming in the afternoon at the New Pool, and attending the four lawn fetes scheduled throughout the summer. 

The summer recreation program was divided into eight parks. Every neighborhood had a park, and the names of the parks all have a little local history.

Austin Park was named after George Austin, a jeweler who died in 1914 and left some of his money to be used to develop a public park. 

Mrs. George Farrall gifted Farrall Park's land. The land was originally a pasture. 

Kibbe Park is named after Chauncey Kibbe.   In 1934, with the help of federal funds and purchasing land from Chauncey Kibbe, Kibbe Park was born. 

John Kennedy Playground was formerly known as Cary's Woods. It was located on Vine Street. In 1954, the park was built on land sold from the city to the Batavia School District. 

MacArthur Park got its name from Douglas MacArthur. During WWII, the city organized an air raid observation post with headquarters in the baseball dugout at the ballpark. In 1961, the city cleared a small land area and built a picnic shelter with tables and grills behind the stadium.

Pringle Park was named after Judge Benjamin. Pringle also had a playground that was used for the summer recreation program.

In 1927, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Woodward from Le Roy gave the land along Richmond Ave. across from Robert Morris to the Batavia School District. This began the creation of Woodward Field. In honor of Mr. Woodward, his name is on the ticket booth, along with his good friend Andrew McWain, the editor of The Daily News at the time.

In 1915, the city owned a tract of land on Pearl Street that was left to the city in the will of Robert Williams. This was originally his farmland. Today, it is Williams Park.

The parks were open from 9 a.m. to noon and then from 1 to 5 p.m. Your days were filled with baseball and volleyball games and arts and crafts, and the summer's culmination was the Park Parade. Main Street closed, and the streets were crowded with spectators and store employees. Your park was judged on your float and your scrapbook. You became proficient in making hundreds of paper crepe flowers and how to add the flowers to chicken wire. The goal of each park was to create a unique float to represent the park. 

Friends were made for life at your neighborhood park. 

In 1959, the building contract was awarded to Ed Leising to excavate a choice piece of land in MacArthur Park. It would be the home of the new community pool. When it opened in 1962, another chapter of our childhood was created.     It was a 60-foot by 100-foot pool that could accommodate 600 swimmers. Your afternoons were spent swimming in what I thought was the largest pool I ever saw. You rode your bike to the pool, paid your .25, and were given a key to a locker. When you left, you were given your quarter was returned, which we immediately used on one of the vending machines when we left the pool. 

Another wonderful memory of summer in the 60s was the church picnics, or as many called the lawn fetes.   St. Joseph's Church began the summer with its fete on the first June weekend. Rides, games, food, baked goods, and a beer tent were there. My favorite part was the mammoth parade that opened the weekend's picnic.  

Our Mighty St. Joe's Drum Corps highlighted the parade. Main Street was packed with spectators. Parents and children in strollers lined Main Street. St. Joseph's Drum Corps was founded in 1931 by the Rev. T. Bernard Kelly, pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Batavia. St. Joseph's Drum Corps operated as a parade corps until the late 1950s, when it became a field competition corps. During the 1960s, Mighty St. Joe's rose to National and International prominence, consistently ranking among the top ten junior corps in the country.

The end of the lawn fete was marked by the lucky winner of the raffle ticket. You couldn't forget the grand prize, a new Cadillac that would be raffled at midnight Sunday evening. If you didn't want the Cadillac, you could choose $10,000. 

St. Joe's wasn't the only church that had a lawn fete. 

St. Anthony's had one on a smaller scale, but it was just as fun. I loved their baked goods booth. They also had a popular beer tent.   

When our daughters were little, we would walk to the fete. I remember one year carrying our youngest daughter from the fish pond, screaming. She wasn't ready to leave, and when we got home, we discovered that she had a rubber fish in her hand from the fish pond. 

Sacred Heart Lawn fete was very special to me because you could always find my wonderful father-in-law in the church garage counting money. He was always happy to give his granddaughters cash for the games. It was a smaller lawn fete, but every booth had a church member operating it year after year. 

Every church supported the various lawn fetes. St. Mary's also had a Lawn Fete. 

It was the community that benefited from the summer events. My memories span from when I was nine to when the last lawn fete was held in 2017. It ran for 61 years. When you think of our lawn fetes, you remember the long lines for the waffle booth or the smell of Italian sausage,  pepper, onions, or, respectfully, Polish sausage being grilled at Sacred Heart's Lawn Fete. You got used to the sound of the game I've Got It or someone yelling Bingo.

So many of these beautiful memories are gone. I regret that children today will never experience the fun. We all remember walking the tarmac of the various lawn fetes, walking in their park parade with their float, or swimming in the New Pool. My heart is filled with great memories and the sadness of dealing with all the changes we baby boomers must accept. 

As you read this today, I hope you smile and remember our summers in Batavia. Smile and be thankful we lived at a time when lawn fetes, the park program, and the New Pool filled our summer days. 

Photos courtesy of Genesee County History Department.

Barnaby's eyes -- with two dark thin slits across each eyeball -- cautiously observe and capture a stranger's attention as he approaches his front yard fence, while Anne has a way about her when she sidles up to a person and nudges her neck ever so gently against you. There’s only one thing to do but reach out and stroke her nose and neck in quiet sympathy for her current hip pain that causes her to limp.

Ferris and Forrest seem obliviously content to continue snacking while Cici may try to take a lick of a visitor’s arm, and there are so many more residents of Mockingbird Farm Sanctuary just waiting to say hello.

And they’ve all got names, personalities and individual voices if you just give them a moment, co-founder Jonell Chudyk says.

“I heavily believe in the power of the human-animal bond when it's done when it's mutually beneficial. I think humans can heal animals, and animals can heal humans as long as it's done in a mutually beneficial environment,” Chudyk said during an interview with The Batavian. “So my goal, obviously, was to create this place that's a sanctuary for both humans and nonhumans.”

It was quite apparent during a recent tour of the Upper Holley Road farm that Chudyk has given the 52 animals — 19 species in all — many moments since the farm’s founding with Jon Tedd in 2015. 

From Barnaby, a brown goat, to Anne, a miniature donkey once used for a traveling petting zoo and who got caught in a hoarding situation with fellow donkey Gilbert, all of the animals have been rescues or turn-ins that are now living a much healthier, safer and happier life. 

There’s a story for every animal, including the pot-bellied pigs that were purchased by people thinking they’d be a cute, petite pet for the house, until the realization that it was a pig that was going to grow in girth and poundage. 

And River, the now three-year-old black-and-white cow who was found running down a Rochester street as a three-day-old calf with its umbilical cord still attached. Nobody claimed the poor confused baby, and it eventually found refuge at Mockingbird. 

Or those Eastertime gifts that might get tucked into a child’s basket along with the chocolate bunny rabbits. 

“We’ve gotten 245 requests for surrenders of roosters from people who got chicks and then couldn’t keep them or didn’t want them when they got older,” she said. 

Lucy, a mom goat, and her baby, Ruby, were part of a breeding operation used for ritualistic slaughter out of state. They came to the farm quite sick, requiring extensive medical treatment and Tedd and Chudyk donning tyvek suits just to treat them.

Some of the animals have stayed inside with Chudyk until they were recovered enough to go back into the barn.

Cici the cow became a big fundraising effort, with the community rallying around to raise $14,000 to save her from multiple diseases after a stay at Cornell University.

Why farm animals, and why spend so much money on them? Well, why not farm animals, Chudyk counters.

“I’ve been around horses for 26 years. And they were sort of my happiness and therapy growing up. So I knew I always wanted to do something with animals,” she said. “And for as long as I can remember, I've been rescuing animals like baby squirrels and just involved with, I guess I would say, the welfare of animals for as long as I can remember.” 

She met Tedd through a mutual friend who was in a band with him, and they discovered they shared the same dream to operate a sanctuary like this. The dream came true in 2015 when Chudyk moved there and bought the place. Mockingbird became an official 501(c)(3) two years later. 

She believes that one animal is as important as any other, and learning about all species has allowed her to understand that they all really do have their own niche.

Just like their cats, dogs and smaller animals that reside inside their home on the farm, all of them have their rightful place and a voice that if you stop and listen, you’ll hear it, she said. 

Hart, the large green-eyed Maine coon cat that appeared on their property years ago and never left, has nuzzled right into the mix — amazingly unfazed by the ducks and chickens.

Chudyk and her family, husband Joseph and daughter Audrey, have adopted this way of life quite naturally, though it's not easy. The sanctuary is completely run on a volunteer and donation basis, with no grant or government assistance, she said. 

The property includes a 6,000-square-foot barn, circa 1800s, and five out-buildings on 10 acres of land. There's a board of directors and some 16 volunteers who work according to their own schedules.

There is a subscription service, Patreon, and her job as a licensed therapist that helps to support the organization, Chudyk said, plus sponsorships of animals, donations, and events. 

One of the farm’s big events will be the second annual Fall Festival, set for 1 to 6 p.m. Oct. 7 at 5978 Upper Holley Road, Byron. This year’s goal is to raise $15,000, which would buy hay for this winter season. There’s no formal admission, with a suggested donation of $10, which includes a self-guided tour of the farm and availability to meet its residents. 

There will also be at least a dozen vendors with food and crafts for sale, including Grass Fed Rochester, New Ethic Pizzeria & Cafe,  and Isotope Ice Cream and Desserts. Other activities will include games, face painting, temporary tattoos, live music, a pumpkin patch and raffles.

Vendors and sponsorships are still being accepted for the festival, with a variety of online and in-person promotional perks for sponsors. Volunteers and donations are always needed and welcomed, she said. 

It takes $6,000 a month to care for the animals, and untold hours of cleaning, scrubbing, and filling bowls and buckets with food and water, clearing out their beds of poop, providing for their medical and personal needs, and, of course, giving a good ear, nose or back rub for those that have come to trust it.

Chudyk bakes cookies with CBD so that some of the treatments are more palatable, as many of the animals have joint issues, osteoarthritis, or other injuries and ailments from their prior journeys. 

Again, why go to such time, energy and expense for farm animals?

“You can care about humans and animals at the same time. And if folks are compelled to donate, awesome, if not, they don't have to," she said. "So we always make it a point where like, personally, I would pay the bills, you know, I would never expect the public to, if we take on an animal with expenses like that, we don't expect the public to just fund it. If we can't get that support, we would never put an animal in a situation where we wouldn't be able to afford it personally.

“But the thing is, don't they deserve voices? You know, we are essentially the voices for the voiceless. And it's difficult to see so much support for companion animals when nobody would bat an eye at $14,000 to have colic surgery for a horse, but to save a calf, that would be controversial," she said. 

"We just don't see it that way. And that's okay if other people don’t.”

For more information, go to mockingbirdfarm.com

As she was approaching high school graduation, Reagan Heubusch wanted to at least supplement her part-time job with something else to make a little more money, and a family friend suggested that she try a pet-sitting service.

Almost immediately, her own social media, plus word-of-mouth, earned her three or four clients, and the business grew to the point where the 18-year-old dropped the other job altogether.

“It started out as a very small idea, and my initial goal was for it to keep me afloat while I found another job,” she said during an interview with The Batavian. “What actually ended up happening was it replaced a job entirely for me; I was able to do it full time, not just not on the side. I offer four services currently, but am hoping to be able to expand in the future as I take some courses to help educate me more.”

It was her boyfriend’s step-mother who can claim credit for the idea, and her own mother, Danielle, who gave the push to “go for it” in pursuing her own business, Reagan said. She’s always had a love for dogs, having grown up with four up to now, so the idea especially appealed to her.

Still in its early stage, the owner and namesake of the Reagan Elizabeth Pet Sitting Services is in progress with obtaining her LLC, and she offers dog walking and drop-in visits of 30 to 60 minutes to provide some companionship, exercise, a feeding, or outdoor break; and then more extensive day and night stays at the client’s home.

A 2023 graduate of Pavilion Junior Senior High School, Reagan has also taken some online courses to learn more about handling dogs, grooming and trimming their nails, she said, with plans to take more in-depth lessons, such as certified dog CPR, certified grooming and administering medical injections. 

She already has experience with giving oral treatments, has booked repeat clients for all of her services, and gained some experience working at Rover.com, she said.

Reagan has a repeat overnight client booked for a 12-night package in November, and that includes caring for the dog and watering the client’s plants. She will do other tasks around the house as needed, she said. 

While most of her clients so far have known her, why might strangers trust her services? 

“I got booked with a complete stranger, and I think what sold them was that I was newer, my prices were affordable, and I had personal experience with dogs,” she said. “And when I met them, they felt safe that I was going to be in their home and with their pets, and nothing was going to go wrong. So it's just making yourself seem credible.”

There is always a pre-meeting for everyone to get a sense if the arrangement will work out — both with Reagan and the dog — and to ensure “it’s a good fit,” she said. She wants to make sure that she’s comfortable with the pooch and that there’s no apparent aggression there.

That meeting is a great time for both sides to size each other up, she said

“I think dogs are a really good judge of character. I think it’s up to them to trust you, I don’t think you can make a dog trust you,” she said. “I’ve always loved dogs, and I’ve always loved caring for them. It’s nice having an animal that loves you unconditionally and that you can unconditionally love back. 

“I’m very good with animals. So far, there hasn't been a single dog I've turned away. I've worked with a Chihuahua, a pit bull, and even a few Great Pyrenees,” she said. “I love all dogs and would only turn one away if I felt as though I could not handle it or it showed signs of being overly aggressive. Thankfully, though, I have not had that issue yet.” 

She has learned to begin with affordable pricing, establish herself and then go from there with her fees. She charges per service and serves Genesee and Wyoming counties. 

Future goals are to provide a doggy day care or boarding service, plus offer nail trimmings, baths and other potential services as she becomes more established, she said. At that point, Reagan hopes to also employ others to help with the business.

For more information or to contact Reagan, email reaganelizabethht@gmail.com or go to her business site.

Press Release:

The Batavia Muckdogs are excited to announce their 3rd annual Muckdogs Trick or Treat at Dwyer Stadium on Saturday, October 21 from 3 - 6 p.m. 

“This tradition started when we took over the team in 2021 as a free event for the community to get together and have some fun around Halloween. Last year we saw over 5,000 people attend the event and we are expecting another great crowd. We really can’t thank the businesses that are involved who help make this event possible.” Owner Robbie Nichols.

The event is free to enter and is for all ages. Attendees can trick or treat, participate in games & activities, and enjoy the Halloween festivities at Dwyer Stadium. If you or someone you know wants their local business to be involved please email Muckdogs General Manager, Marc Witt mwitt.canusa@gmail.com.

UPDATE 5:58 p.m.: Batavia PD says Stephenie Underwood has been located.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is seeking public assistance in locating 42-year-old Stephenie Underwood. Underwood was last seen on Sept. 27 at approximately noon in Batavia. She was last seen wearing tan sweatpants and a black long-sleeved shirt. Underwood is about 5'2", 126 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350 or the confidential tip line at 585-345-6370. Tips can also be submitted by clicking the "submit a tip" button at bataviapolice.org.

Based on feedback from the community, the engineer and property owner planning an apartment complex at 8900 Alleghany Road, Pembroke, have scaled back the project, the Pembroke Planning Board learned on Wednesday night before voting 6-1 to let the development move forward.

A month ago, when the plan was last publicly discussed, developer Michael Schmidt and engineer Michael Metzger were planning six buildings in the complex and a total of 144 apartments with 326 parking spaces.

The new site plan calls for four buildings -- plus garages -- with 96 apartments and 168 parking spaces.

The change helps reduce the amount of impervious developed service to less than 50 percent, leaving 57 percent greenspace on the 8.2-acre lot.

The changes will make the complex more attractive from the roadway, Metzger said.

"There was some talk of making the project a little bit more of a park-like as opposed to what we had before where we had six buildings in there and a lot of asphalt," Metzger said. "With these large tracts of natural vegetation, we're trying to replicate a park-like setting that would be better for the aesthetics for the community as well as the residents that would live in this facility."

Chairman David Knupfer voted no after expressing his concern about setting a precedent while not expressing any specific objections to the project.

"This project is a precedent-setter for this town," Knupfer said. "There's no other project like this in this town. So whichever way it goes, it sets a precedent with stipulations or no stipulations. So if this is approved, and somebody else, some other developer comes in, you gotta be careful. So make sure you have what you want in here."

There were two big concerns raised by planners and community members. First, access for school buses; second, whether Schmidt would pull a bait-and-switch, which speakers expressed concern about in light of what happened with Ellicott Station in Batavia, and turn the complex into low-incoming housing.

Metzger explained the plan for school buses, worked out with Pembroke Central School Superintendent Matthew Calderon, and Schmidt said there is no way the complex will become low-income housing.

Calderon sent a letter to the planning board expressing his thoughts on school buses, which Metzger acknowledged.

"He goes into detail there about various options, and actually, some of the options he's suggesting would work quite well," Metzger said. "He also offered the opportunity for the buses to actually come on site. One of the things that he talked about, and he talked about it with Mr. Schmidt, and he would be agreeable to is allowing the buses to actually come on site and stop at each one of the buildings, each of the four buildings. Because of the geometry that is set up for the largest of emergency vehicles and fire trucks, there's way more than enough capacity and room for buses to maneuver on the property."

Metzger explained that the driving lanes and turning lanes through the parking lot are compliant with state fire codes so that fire trucks can easily maneuver through the area.  School buses, he noted, have shorter wheelbases than the largest fire trucks.

Schmidt said he favors the buses stopping at each of the four buildings because it will be safer for the children of his tenants.

"As you know, it can be snowing, raining, sleeting," Schmidt said. "So if you have a tenant in the back building who has a little seven-year-old and the bus was to come in and park in a spot (up front), now that seven-year-old is going to be trucking down (the parking lot) with a backpack to get out on the bus where other people might be leaving for work. We talked about it being a bad situation from a safety standpoint for the children and said the best-case scenario in my mind is to have the bus be able to come around to each building. There will be plenty of clearance. So he (Calderon) was agreeable to that."

That scenario, Schmidt also noted, would allow the children to wait in the building's vestibule during inclement weather.

As far as concerns about low-income housing, Schmidt noted that, unlike Ellicott Station, his project is not subsidized by any state or federal agencies.  

"They already had all the agencies lined up to work with them," Schmidt said. "We are here alone. Mike's my engineer. We have no intention of doing that. I can put that into writing. We certainly aren't going to be looking for any state financial aid or any type of anything from the government to help us."

While the apartments will be available to anyone who can demonstrate the ability to pay the rent, he indicated that a person who qualifies for subsidized housing isn't likely going to be able to qualify to rent an apartment in his complex.

Applicants will need to be able to demonstrate full-time employment with a credit score of at least 700 and an income of at least three times the monthly rental rate. The rent on a two-bedroom apartment will be at least $1,695 per month and $1,395 for a one-bedroom.

After one resident complained that apartments will just bring in a bunch of "riff-raff" and drive down property values, Schmidt, who owns and operates several other similar complexes in the region and repeatedly drew on his experience to explain the kind of tenants who fill his complex, told the man, "respectfully," that he had it backward.

"The people who are gonna live here are going to make a minimum of $50,000 with a credit score that is going to have to be very strong," Schmidt said. "In my experience, once they live here for a while, they're going to realize if they're moving in from another place, which a lot of people will be, I think -- we all know your whole corridor is growing -- and some of you don't like that, I understand. I grew up in Akron, a small town that has grown a little bit. But the reality is it's happening. The STAMP project and other things that are going on are gonna lead other people to want to move in. 

"When they move in, they're gonna look for a nice place to move, and hopefully, we will be able to provide some of that," Schmidt added. "And then what they're going to do is look for places, homes to buy, which is going to take the prices of the homes up like it always does. When more people come in, the value of the homes goes up. That's good for everyone. You have more people coming in to help pay taxes and pay for the infrastructure ... You've got a great town. I'd say one of the towns in Western New York that's on the move. So I think it's going to be the opposite. I think what you find is when more people move in -- nice, good, hardworking people -- they're going to be looking for homes to buy. You're going to see the real estate values start climbing."

Related to the school bus issue, as well as traffic in and out of the complex, as well as the number of parking spaces, and the nature of the up-and-coming workforce quality apartments attract, is there simply won't be a lot of children living in the apartments, Schmidt said. He predicted fewer than 20 children at any one time.

He said the apartments are on the smaller side, and most are one-bedroom, and in his experience, even the two-bedrooms don't tend to attract adults with children.

Eight units in every building will be one-bedroom, and six will be two-bedrooms. There are no three bedrooms. 

"They're not large units," Schmidt said. "They're very medium-sized units. So really, our experience is that we have very few children. And when people start having children, they look for a house."

Schmidt said he maintains high standards for his tenants.  For example, tenants can have dogs under 30 pounds, but if a tenant's dog bites anybody, the dog has to go.

"We don't tolerate anything," Schmidt said. "That's why we keep the standards very high in who we rent to. If you don't, good people will not live around bad people, but bad people love living around good people. So you have to take care of the good tenants that you have."

And that's why he's attracted to building in Pembroke, he said. He believes Pembroke is a community that attracts good people.

"It's a community built around hardworking people," Schmidt said. "Hardworking people don't have a lot of time usually to screw around. We're going to protect that. I think you're gonna see there's a lot of great people that move in here."

A pilot program that allows 12- and 13-olds to hunt with a crossbow, rifle, shotgun or muzzleloading firearm is about to expire at the end of this year unless the Genesee County Legislature votes to extend the local law next month.

The public is invited for comments during a public hearing on the issue at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in the Legislative Chambers in the Old Courthouse, 7 Main St., Batavia.

New York State enacted legislation in 2021 that created a new section of Environmental Conservation Law (11-0935) authorizing a license holder who is 12 or 13 years of age to hunt deer with a crossbow, rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloading firearm under the supervision of an experienced adult hunter in eligible areas. This program ran through 2023 and required counties to adopt a local law authorizing participation and to notify the DEC of their participation. Prior to that, the state’s legal age to hunt was 14.

Genesee County was one of the 52 counties in the state to register, leaving just two counties to opt out of the program. Currently, all other states allow youths 12 years old or younger to hunt big game with a firearm.

During a prior discussion about voting on a resolution to extend the law to a permissible Dec. 31, 2025, county legislators seemed in favor of doing so, including Legislator Christian Yunker, who said there has been "a lot of positive response" to the program.

He pointed to a report that was put out by the DEC to the state Senate and Assembly with feedback from participating counties in the pilot program.

There were 9,859 participating hunters in 2021-22 and 9,416 the following year of the program, with the highest percentage — 85 percent — using firearms during deer season, the report stated. The fewest amount of hunters used crossbows, at 18 percent for the first year and 22 percent during 2022-23.

Those who participated in bowhunting season were at 31 percent and 25 percent, respectively, and 26 percent and 18 percent for late muzzleloader season. The next largest group was youth big game hunting over Columbus Day weekend at 62 percent and 70 percent for each of the two years. 

“No hunting-related shooting incidents, violations or license revocations involving 12- or 13-year-old hunters were reported/occurred during the first two years of the pilot program,” the report stated.

A satisfaction survey scored 82 percent for the youth hunter and 87 percent for adult mentors with a “moderately or greatly satisfied” rating, and 4 percent and 2 percent, respectively, with “moderately or greatly dissatisfied.”

Legislators voted this week to set the hearing and allow for local feedback about the program before taking a vote to extend the law. Anyone interested in speaking or obtaining more information is encouraged to attend the hearing.

According to the resolution, the intent of this local law is to authorize the county to permit 12- and 13-year-old individuals to participate in the new and safe hunting opportunities in accordance with Environment Conservation Law ECL 11-0935. 

The enacted 2023-2024 New York State Budget includes a pilot program allowing the opportunity for youth hunters, ages 12 and 13, to hunt deer with certain firearms and crossbow through Dec. 31, 2025, if a County authorizes such action within their municipality. 

The County is amending this local law because “hunting is a valued tradition for many families, and this new opportunity allows experienced adult hunters to introduce the value of hunting to the next generation. Furthermore, teaching young people safe, responsible, and ethical hunting practices will ensure a rewarding experience for the youth while providing quality food to families and contributing to important deer management population control practices,” the resolution states.

Definitions for the purposes of this Local Law:

a. “physical control” shall mean that the physical proximity of such minor to the parent, guardian or person is such that the parent, guardian or person is reasonably able to issue verbal directions and instructions, maintain constant visual contact, and otherwise provide guidance and supervision to the minor.

b. “eligible area” shall mean within the boundaries of the County.

State Requirements include:

A hunting license holder who is twelve or thirteen years of age may hunt deer with a crossbow, rifle, shotgun, or muzzle-loading firearm as provided in this title in an eligible area provided that;

a. Such minor is accompanied by their parent or legal guardian, or by a person designated in writing by such parent or legal guardian on a form prescribed by the Environmental Conservation Department who is 21 years of age or older; and

b. Such parent, guardian or person has had at least three years’ experience in hunting deer; and

c. Such parent, guardian or person holds a hunting license; and

d. Such parent, guardian or person maintains physical control over the minor at all times while hunting; and

e. Such parent, guardian or person and the minor remain at ground level at all times while hunting; and

f. Such parent, guardian or person and the minor shall each display either a minimum total of 250 square inches of solid fluorescent orange or pink or patterned fluorescent orange or pink consisting of no less than 50 percent fluorescent orange or pink material worn above the waist and visible from all directions, or a hat or cap with no less than 50 percent of the exterior consisting of solid fluorescent orange or pink material and visible from all directions.

The Town of Pembroke Planning Board approved a proposal for a new travel plaza off Exit 48a of the Thruway on Wednesday, clearing the way for construction to begin in the spring.

When completed, the as-yet-unnamed travel plaza will join Flying J, TA, and Speedway as locations on Route 77 where travelers and truckers can rest, get a bite to eat, refuel and perhaps get a wash.

The vote to approve the environmental review and site plan passed 6-1, with board member Thomas Marshall casting the lone "nay."

In a brief presentation before the vote, Engineer Michael Metzer addressed some of the issues raised at last month's public hearing before the board and by the Genesee County Planning Board.

Previously, there were concerns expressed about sight lines coming from the Thruway overpass and the increase in traffic the new travel plaza is likely to bring to the interchange.

Metzer said since the last meeting, a traffic study has been completed.

"The results of that study were that there are no sightline issues whatsoever," Metzer said.

As for additional traffic, that won't be an issue either.

They've determined that there would be no impact on the level of service in the area, interchanges or intersections," Metzger said. "They looked at seven intersections altogether, and every one of those still meets code. There are no adverse impacts to the intersections; obviously, there's gonna be more traffic, you know, nobody's debating that. But what this traffic impact study does is that it makes a determination of whether the impacts are adverse or not, whether they create a problem. And so, in summary, ... (there is) no significant impact as a result of this project."

Through the environmental review process, it was determined the project could impact an endangered species, the northern long-eared bat.  

The developer has two options: Conduct a detailed study to see if the bat is present on the property, or not cut down any trees on the property during hibernation season -- from Nov. 1 to March 31.

The second option is the one the developer will take, Metzger said.

"If you don't remove any trees (during those months), you are in compliance with DEC guidelines and federal guidelines as well," Metzger said.

To address another issue, Metzger said the project is designed in full compliance with floodplain regulations.

As for historical preservation, Metzger said, "One thing that was identified through the environmental review through the State Office of Parks and Historic Preservation is that we are in a potentially archaeologically sensitive area. As such, we would commit to -- actually, we've started the process of doing a phase 1A and a phase 1B study. We will do that and provide the results prior to a request for a building permit."

During the board discussion, Marshall indicated he didn't agree that the project would have no traffic impact.

"I just think it's way too much volume for that intersection through the interchange," he said.

Board member Greg Kuras said he thought the additional travel plaza would actually help with truck traffic, especially during winter storms.

"Whenever you get storms, you get the states basically begging for parking spots for these things," Kuras said. "They want to get them off of (routes) 5 and 77. It's better to have a big parking lot for them than having them sit on the road."

Everyone is invited to a pet blessing at St. James Episcopal Church, which is to be followed by “A Time of Remembrance” service for one’s beloved pets who have crossed the rainbow bridge, Diane Cox says.

The blessing will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the church, 405 E. Main St., Batavia. 

All pets should be on a leash or in a carrier for their protection. Donations of pet food or other pet items will be welcomed and passed along to Batavia pet food pantries and rescue groups.

Participants may also bring bring a photo of their animal friends that don’t want to travel or enjoy crowds so that they may still participate in the blessing.

Made popular by St. Francis of Assisi, who had a great sense of care and respect for all creatures, pet blessings have been a popular event in early October, attracting people with their various types of animals to the church venues.

Following a raid by the FBI on a residence in Batavia Wednesday, two men have been arraigned in U.S. District Court on a sex trafficking indictment, including Joseph Barsuk.

The listed owner of the residence at 3604 South Pearl Street Road, Batavia, according to county tax records, is Barsuk Buffalo Properties LLC, and records list Joseph Barsuk Jr. as a former owner of the property.

Barsuk and Brian Rosenthal are indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. Barsuk is also accused of sex trafficking by coercion.

On the first count of the indictment, Barsuk and Rosenthal are accused of working together, and perhaps with others, to "knowingly recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain" sex workers for financial gain.

Barsuk is accused of using force, threats of force, fraud and coercion to get a victim, referred to as "Victim 1," in paid sex work.

The Buffalo News reported today that the case may be linked to an investigation of  Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club in Buffalo. Rosenthal is reportedly a long-time employee of the club.

Press Release:

“We are pleased to announce that Jamie Beedham-Rada will be starting the Executive Director position on Monday, October 9. The staff and board are excited to work with Jamie and look forward to growing the programs of the YWCA,” says Board President, Christi Waldron.

Jamie has a Bachelor in Psychology and a Master's in Management from Keuka College. She started her professional career as a Case Manager for the YWCA's Domestic Violence Program in 2005 and feels that it is one of the most rewarding positions she’s ever had. For the past 13 years, her focus has been fundraising, development, and non-profit management. 

She comes to the YWCA from Lifetime Assistance, where for the last 10 years she has worked as the Associate Director of Day Services and as the Director of Development. She has been happily married to Ryan Rada for 14 years and they were blessed with their beautiful little boy Aiden, four years ago.

Her personal and professional goal has always been to support and improve the lives of our most vulnerable populations. Whether it is through advocacy, program support or fundraising, she wants her son to know the value of compassion and empathy and wants him to help others, not because he must, but because he wants to. 

“I am excited to return to my hometown and work alongside the incredible team at the YWCA and the members of our amazing community. The YWCA is an integral part of Genesee County and I am thrilled for the opportunities that the next few years will bring,” says Beedham-Rada. 

A robust list of building improvements is on the table for Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road.

Senior managers of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. updated board of directors this morning of their plans to enhance the facility, which already has seen extensive renovations in recent months.

Upgrades include new restrooms, expansion of the salt barn, and painting and other improvements to rooms at The Hotel at Batavia Downs, Chief Operating Officer Scott Kiedrowski said.

“We did complete a set of restroom upstairs … and towards the clubhouse, we have completed the renovation of the ladies room, and we’ll be moving to the men’s room as soon as racing quiets down a little bit in the month of November,” he said.

Kiedrowski said the company’s budget included adding storage space to the salt barn, with the work to be done by Batavia Downs Gaming employees.

Concerning the hotel, he said a “walkthrough” of the 84-room inn was conducted last week.

“The suites get the most use – they’re the most popular rooms we have. We’re going to be putting them out of service next week for painting and upgrades to those because of the high turnover rate,” he said.

He said overall the hotel is in “great shape,” adding that he will be scheduling weekly carpet cleaning in the hallways and a reworking of the laundry process, specifically upgrading the dryer system.

Kiedrowski then turned to the grandstands, an area that he said needs attention.

“(President/CEO) Henry (Wojtaszek) would like to make sure that the flooring (in the grandstands) is all uniform, and the ventilation, ceiling and lighting need to be addressed,” he said. “So, you’ll probably see some changes in the grandstands starting the first quarter of 2024.”

He added that Chief Financial Officer Jacquelyne Leach and her team have been working on the installation of a new Point-Of-Sale system called Agilysys, which will replace the facility’s Micro system.

“The Agilysys system is what most casinos across the country use as well as an inventory system to go along with our new warehouse,” he said.

The unveiling of the harness track’s new pace truck is about a week away, he said, noting that the total cost of the vehicle, including the gate on the back, is around $100,000.

“We’ll have that here for probably everyone to see next month, and I believe Henry is working with the director of sales to have one of our vendors wrap that vehicle, which will hopefully pay for any related costs to that.”

In closing, Kiedrowski urged directors to start thinking about the corporation’s strategic five-year plan as it relates to the physical plant.

Director Dennis Bassett (City of Rochester) asked if Scott could choose a couple of board members and a key staff person to be on a committee to oversee the process.

In other developments, the board:

• Learned that live winter harness racing likely will be returning to Batavia Downs in January and February. Kiedrowski reported that talks with Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association leaders have been fruitful.

“We’re looking at doing it again, the same routine,” Kiedrowski said, noting that the WNYHHA has agreed to cover all expenses of the 16-date matinee meet, which will run on Mondays and Thursdays starting at 3 p.m. 

He said that the cost to conduct the meet last year, considering clubhouse, labor and equipment expenses, was around $322,000.

• Heard that Wojtaszek will be pushing for legislation at the state level to give WROTB more leverage in placing EZ Bet terminals in Erie County. Currently, Buffalo Raceway in Hamburg has veto power over locating EZ Bets within a 30-mile radius of its track.

“I think we could easily get between five and 15 within the next year if that provision is removed,” he said. “So, we will ask those who are responsible for governing those areas to take a real hard look at removing that provision. And that will be probably one of the top priorities that we have in terms of legislation.”

• Inquired about management’s plan for the two smoking rooms when the current waiver expires in 2025. The board is looking for an alternative in case the waiver isn’t renewed.

Wojtaszek said that if the waiver isn’t extended, customers would have to go outside to smoke and that some type of accommodations would be extended to them.

Press Release:

Lapp Insulators Co. LLC changed a decades-old process to incorporate new technology and equipment that results in energy savings, lower operating costs, and a safer work environment. The changes also earned the Le Roy-based company $27,000 in energy efficiency incentives from National Grid.

Lapp is a leading manufacturer of high-voltage insulators for electricity substations. The company recently replaced a 150-horsepower, high-pressure air compressor that had been used for 40 years with three Wilden Air diaphragm pumps to push 1.5 tons of liquid clay through its production lines. Lapp officials are pleased with the results, which include a 70 percent energy savings.

“This was a major change to our process,” said Facilities Manager Ron Richards, who worked with National Grid Energy Efficiency Specialist Jay Snyder to identify the opportunity and execute a plan to install the new pumps. 

“By collaborating with Jay and sharing ideas, we significantly improved our process, which means less downtime and more productivity. The new pumps make our employees and work environment safer, and we anticipate long-term operations cost and maintenance savings. We’re making higher quality products and are doing more with less.”

Richards said that the previous production process required approximately three times as much energy. The aqua-colored, soft, squishy clay is the main ingredient that Lapp uses to shape, fire, and glaze ceramic insulators that are used at electricity substations across North America. Around 130 people work at the Le Roy facility, which dates to 1916.

“At the foundation of our energy efficiency program is the ability to collaborate and learn from our customers so that we can better understand their needs and work together to find ways to lower their costs and reduce energy use,” said National Grid Regional Director Ken Kujawa. “When costs can be lowered and kept low for companies like Lapp Insulators, it can help them to grow, keep their facilities local, and build their workforces.”

“Our ability to work with Lapp Insulators to achieve energy efficiency goals and streamline production illustrates National Grid’s commitment to them, as well as all local manufacturers,” added Snyder. “The solution that we developed with Lapp has resulted in additional discussions about future projects to improve efficiencies and reduce costs in other areas of the facility, including lighting, an air compressor, dust collector motors, and an air dryer.”

Funding for the Lapp project was provided through National Grid’s Energy Efficiency Program, which includes financial incentives for commercial and industrial customers who reduce electricity costs. Incentives are available for customers who install energy-efficient lighting, controls, HVAC equipment, motors/electronic speed controls, and other systems that reduce energy use and/or enhance productivity.

Press Release:

Officials at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel are asking for entrants into their Annual Dachshund Races, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct.15.

Up to 80 dachshunds will be racing for the crown of fastest wiener dog in Western New York.  Each “heat” winner will receive free play and the top 3 finishers in the championship race will receive free play, food vouchers, and a free hotel stay.

Family-related activities will also take place including; on-site entertainers, kettle corn stand, pumpkin decorating, carriage rides, pony rides, and discount hot dogs and sodas.  Those events will take place from Noon to 2 p.m.  The wiener dog races will commence at 2 p.m., giving all attendees plenty of time to get home or to the stadium prior to that night’s Buffalo Football Contest.

If you have a pure-bred dachshund and would like to enter your dog to participate, please call or email Arna Tygart at 585-343-3750 ex 6437 or email at atygart@bataviagaming.com.

Admission and Parking is free.

“Our Annual Family Fun Day and Wiener Dog Races have a great history here at Batavia Downs,” said President and CEO, Henry Wojtaszek.  “We look forward to welcoming families and the community back this fall for this highly anticipated event.”

Press Release: 

On Sep. 14, The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, along with Le Roy Town Historian Lynne Belluscio and Le Roy Historical Society Board Member Carol Wolfe, accepted an Excellence in Tourism Marketing Award for the Barn Quilt Trail of Le Roy program at the New York State Tourism Industry Association’s Annual Awards, held at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester.

“Working together collaboratively with partners in our community, and being identified for it, creates an incredible sense of pride. The Barn Quilt Trail is an example of the countless hours of hard work, passion, and pride that our residents have in their community. Having such a vision for a fun activity that a large portion of our community contributed to is truly special. I am immensely proud of our Chamber Staff that saw all of the community’s commitment and worked tirelessly to shine a light on it,” said Brian Cousins, Chamber President.

The original 2012 Barn Quilt Trail began as a bicentennial project for the Town of Le Roy, with the first being painted in 2011 at the annual Oatka Festival. In the following 10 months, the trail surpassed its goal of 25 with over 70 barn quilts being painted and erected.

The trail features a collection of more than 100 hand-painted barn quilts along four driving tours in and around Le Roy. Explore the scenic countryside while spotting each unique barn quilt that’s displayed on an array of barns, garages, homes, and other outbuildings. Each quilt pattern has a story to tell, and these stories, along with full-size images, can be found on the new LeRoyBarnQuilt.org website.

Barn Quilts are known to drive heritage tourism for rural communities as visitors search out authentic experiences that represent the stories and people, past and present, of the area. For Genesee County, the barn quilts have come to represent the pride shared by the people of LeRoy, a town with a rich agricultural heritage, deep appreciation of its history, and immense pride in family heritage.

The Barn Quilt Trail expansion was supported through the Tourism Matching Funds program, administered by Empire State Development and I LOVE NY, New York State's Division of Tourism. 

The Chamber invites everyone to explore the trail and discover the beauty and history of the area. The brochure can be requested online at LeRoyBarnQuilt.org or picked up at the Chamber’s Visitor Center at 8276 Park Road in Batavia. This, and other local brochures, can be found in our vestibule, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.