New managing team, from left, Steven Johnson, Joshua Smith, Justin Calarco-Smith, and T.J. Woodward, gather in front of Gilmartin Funeral Home in Batavia in recognition of a new deal for H.E. Turner Funeral Home to purchase Gilmartin and its two other funeral homes. Photo by Howard Owens
For two longstanding, reputable businesses, even though they had been competitors, their futures were heading toward an intersection that both sides eventually knew was coming.
Business trends, staffing needs, customer spending habits and the pandemic all played a role in merging their paths.
“The big thing is that Gilmartin, and Marley's, and Eaton Watson have always had a stellar reputation in the communities that they serve. And we felt as if we did, too, or do, and from all parties’ standpoint, it seemed to make sense. The funeral business is not unlike any other industry. We're facing just immense staffing problems. And our staff are harder to come by because you have to be licensed. And that's not an easy process for folks.
And both of us recognized… that a staffing problem was imminent, and so that, coupled with the changing societal views of funeral services — people going more towards cremation and less towards casket burial — it just started to make sense that each side needed to do something in order to remain,” Steven Johnson said in an interview with The Batavian about H.E. Turner’s deal to buy Gilmartin Funeral Home & Cremation Company Inc.
It wasn’t about a risk of going out of business, he said, “because that is certainly not the case.” But, rather, it was a desire of both Batavia-based businesses to “secure the legacies of all of our founders well into the future,” he said.
Turner, the oldest continuously operator-owned business in Genesee County, Johnson said, was founded in January 1910. Owners Johnson, Justin Calarco-Smith and Joshua Smith and Gilmartin owner T.J. Woodward completed the deal on Aug. 14, although perhaps no one’s the wiser because not much on the surface is changing, aside from some managerial details.
Timothy “T.J.” Woodward, owner of Gilmartin at 329 West Main St., Batavia, said it was still a bit raw to talk about, as it was “a very, very difficult decision” to make.
“It was a super emotional decision. My grandpa started the funeral home,” he said.
His grandfather, the late Darwin Gilmartin, founded the home in 1955. Timothy D. Woodward, T.J.’s dad, bought the business in 1986, and T.J., in turn, purchased it in 2011, which is when he also bought Eaton-Watson from his dad. The third-generation funeral director purchased Marley Funeral Home in Attica two years later.
He began in the business at 19, and it has been the majority of his life. This decision seems about “10 to 15 years earlier than I had wanted,” he said.
“But I think it was inevitable one way or another, I think that they were either going to buy me out, or I was gonna buy them out at some point. So I think it was inevitable,” Woodward said. “I looked at the opportunity that I had in front of me and thought that it was best for myself and my family. And that's the direction I decided to go.”
Customers have been informed, and all of the prior licensed funeral directors will remain in place, including Turner’s other acquisitions of Marley Funeral Home and Eaton-Watson. That means that T.J. Woodward will still be at Gilmartin, Tom Bush will remain at Eaton-Watson and Zachary Curtis, a funeral director at Turner, will be managing the day-to-day operations of Marley and “taking that off T.J.’s plate,” Johnson said.
“We’re looking at this as a merger and sharing key staff. Each funeral home has to be managed by a different director. We have eight full-time licensed funeral directors. So I think what the public should know is that the service and the attention to detail that they have come to expect from each of the respective firms will not change. All of the people that they know and have come to trust and have friendships with throughout the years are still here,” Johnson said. “The only things that are changing are some sharing of staff. And some behind-the-scenes managerial things that no one would ever know about if we didn't say anything.
“So, we're not jacking prices, we're not playing any games, we're gonna continue to do things the way that we have always done them,” he said. “Both firms have enjoyed an extremely good reputation locally, in the Greater Western New York area, and in the state. We're active in the state and the national associations. T.J., Justin, Josh, Zach and I are not going anywhere.”
Turner also employs three part-time licensed funeral directors and has one state-registered resident intern pursuing a license, plus unlicensed staff that assists with directing funerals, taking first calls, and performing housekeeping and maintenance duties.
Turner owns all of the eight properties, and the company, though a competitor with Gilmartin for decades, has always been on friendly terms, Johnson said. There just came a point about a year ago when both funeral home owners began to discuss options about Turner purchasing all three of Gilmartin’s funeral homes, Johnson and Woodward said.
Johnson stepped into the business in January 2011 and has been a part-owner since 2020, with an accumulated 20 years in the funeral business. One factor that really played a role in changing the industry was the pandemic shutdown and social distancing requirements, he said.
“I think there's always going to be people who want to bury, and I think there's always going to be people who want to cremate. But I don't ever see it going back closer to 50/50 like it was. We're closer to 65 percent cremation right now. And honestly, COVID very much exacerbated that. I mean, it dramatically increased after COVID. A huge part of that was that people couldn't have services,” Johnson said. “I do think that people still see a value in having a funeral or a celebration of life of some sort. I think that people still see value in viewing their loved ones. I do see the business changing or continuing to adapt or evolve.
'Funerals are not something that funeral directors invented as a way to make money. People want to have funerals. I mean, what we're looking for is for somebody to stand in the front of our family and friends and say something nice about the person that died. That's all we're looking for. And, you know, that's what we do. We facilitate that. And no matter what happens, the grief process doesn't end; it doesn't change. There's no way around it. The only way to get through grief is to go through it. And a funeral director’s job, truthfully, is to help facilitate healthy grief by having viewings and funerals, and ceremony of some sort.”
He wants to assure those folks who have prepaid with any of the funeral homes that all of it remains safe and secure. “We are honoring any pre-arrangement,” he said.
A little H.E. Turner history This story, according to the company's website, begins in January of 1910, when Harry Ernest Turner, a native of Clarendon, and Harry D. Bartlett of Holley bought the Williamson Furniture and Undertaking Store.
The furniture and funeral combination wasn’t unusual at the time. Historians believe early furniture stores carried coffins and other funeral accessories, which made them a natural link to the funeral business.
Turner, who worked ten years in a furniture store in Holley before purchasing the Batavia store, published a weekly newspaper, The Holley Standard, as a sideline. Bartlett served as Orleans County Clerk in the early 1900s, and the pair also had a joint interest in stores in Byron and Holley, which they sold a few years after they came to Batavia.
H.E. Turner & Co. was operated at 111 Main St., the former Newberry Building, until 1921, when it was moved to the Cary Mansion at 211 East Main St. Fourteen years later, the firm moved to the Bean Mansion at 403 East Main St., where it remains today.
Harry Turner served as president until his death on January 30, 1949, when James B. McCulley and Harold J. Bishop took over. The furniture line was gone by the time Bishop assumed sole ownership of the business following McCulley’s death in 1953.
Bishop continued the business with the help of new associates, Harold Kruger and Edward Canty, for a dozen years preceding his own death in 1965, at which time Canty became president of the funeral home. He and Kruger carried on the Turner tradition with the help of Amos Grefrath and George Patterson.
Mr. Canty retired in 1972, at which time Patterson took over as president. Kruger retired in 1975. Patterson died in December of 1976, and management became the responsibility of James F. Smith, Amos Grefrath and Ed Canty’s nephew, James Canty.
Jim Smith worked at the former C.W. Bohm Mortuary before he came to Turner’s. He became president of the firm in 1977.
As the business grew, so did Smith’s desire to continue the Turner tradition of fine service to the community. He opened the funeral home in Bergen in July of 1988.
Amos retired in 1986. Jim Canty retired in 1992, leaving Jim Smith the sole owner of the funeral home.
In October 2012, Mr. Smith transferred ownership of the firm to his two sons, Justin D. Calarco-Smith, and Joshua J. Smith, along with his longtime trusted friend and employee, Randy W. McIntire. Jim Smith died on Aug. 9, 2023.
In April of 2020, Randy W. McIntire transferred his interest in the firm to Steven L. Johnson, who has been with the firm since January 2011. Together the staff has more than 115 years of funeral service experience.
Marley Funeral Home was founded in 1921 by Ervin J. Marley as E.J. Marley Furniture & Undertaking. In 1949 Richard O. Merle and his wife, Alice, purchased the firm. David M. Sokol began working there in 1973 and together with his wife, Beth they purchased the firm in 1991. Dave sold to Gilmartin Funeral Home in 2012.
Eaton-Watson Funeral Home was founded on Lake Street in Perry by Stan Eaton prior to WW II. The firm was sold to Russ Watson in the 1950s, followed by Kathy Miller in the early to mid 1990s, who moved the firm to its North Main Street location in 1999. She sold the firm to Gilmartin Funeral Home in 2007. Tom Bush has been a funeral director at that funeral home since 2002 and the Managing Funeral Director since 2007.
Turner also owns Robinson and Hackemer Funeral Home in Warsaw, which it purchased three years ago.
Brian William Kennedy, 47, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny, possession of burglary tools, and conspiracy 6th. Kennedy is accused of entering Dick's Sporting Goods at 2:49 p.m. on Nov. 6 and removing the security tag from a coat. He then allegedly left the store without paying for the coat. He was located by deputies inside Walmart a short time later. In the initial report, there was a possible second subject involved in the case. No second arrest has been announced by the Sheriff's Office. The deputies handling the case are Chad Cummings, Jenna Ferrando, and Richard Schildwaster.
John J. Saddler, Jr., 36, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Saddler is accused of stealing a bag of commissary items from the Genesee County Jail on Nov. 6 at 5:49 p.m. during commissary distribution. Saddler was issued an appearance ticket.
Sylvan Parker Grayson, 34, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with obstructing governmental administration 2nd. Grayson, an inmate at the Genesee County Jail, is accused of using shaving cream to obscure the view of a camera in the jail. He was arrested and returned to custody in the jail.
A Rochester resident has been accused of dealing drugs in Genesee County following a six-month-long investigation by the Local Drug Task Force into the possession, transportation, and sale of crack cocaine.
Alterique Day, 51, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony.
Day was taken into custody on Nov. 7 by deputies on a sealed grand jury indictment warrant issued by Genesee County Court.
In late August, Day was accused of selling a quantity of fentanyl to an agent of the task force in the City of Batavia and taken into custody. He was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and criminal possession of a weapon. He was initially held on bond but then released later in accordance with state bail laws.
On the new charges, he was arraigned in County Court and released on his own recognizance in accordance with state bail laws.
The task force was assisted by deputies, deputies from Livingston County, and the District Attorney's Office.
Cara Williams, grade 11, performs "She Used to Be Mine" from Waitress. Photo by Howard Owens.
The Oakfield-Alabama Music Department presented its annual Cabaret night before a packed house in the school's auditorium.
The night's theme was 'Leave your troubles outside, with dozens of students performing solo or in ensembles.
Shane Coast, grade 9, performs Weird Al Yankovic's "I Love Rocky Road," a parody of "I Love Rock and Roll" by Joan Jett. Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Emily Gould, grade 9, performs "A Million Dreams" from The Greatest Showman. Photo by Howard Owens.
Kaylle Merkel, 9th, Allison Wiliams, 9th, Teagan Falk, 10th, Emily Szplyman, 10th, Jessica Sosnowski, 11th, Cara Williams, 11, and Rachael Wight, 12 (order from the program not necessarily the order on stage), perform "Vienna" by Billy Joel. Photo by Howard Owens.
Amora Mabon, 10th grade, performs "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl. Photo by Howard Owens.
Submitted photo of (left to right): Karen Czajka, Samantha Basile, and Andre’ Miller
Press Release:
The Zonta Club of Batavia-Genesee County has partnered with the Richmond Memorial Library to tackle Period Poverty in our community. On Wednesday, Nov. 1, members of the Zonta Club delivered $500 of menstruation products for the library's ‘Comfort Boxes’.
Richmond Memorial Library began providing these ‘Comfort Boxes’ in their restrooms to anyone in need of personal hygiene products. The Journal of Global Health Reports disclosed that two-thirds of the 16.9 million low-income women in the United States were unable to afford menstrual products in the past year, with half of this number having to choose between menstrual products or food.
The Zonta Club of Batavia-Genesee County partnered last year with donations to the Community Closet and will donate further products to Community Action of Orleans and Genesee later this month.
Submitted photo of (from left to right): Christine Fix - The Jerome Foundation Executive Director, Robert Balbick - The Jerome Foundation Board President, Tracy Ford - UMMC Foundation Board President, Daniel Ireland, RRH President and COO of Finger Lakes Rural Hospitals.
Press Release:
The Jerome Foundation, a Batavia-based organization that receives, manages and distributes non-profit funds for health-related purposes, donated $150,000 to Rochester Regional Health’s United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC), and specifically its plans for a new, state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The renovated ICU will triple in size and bring crucial medical care to patients who are often the sickest, most vulnerable, and most in need in Batavia and the surrounding communities.
“Building a new, expanded and modern Intensive Care Unit is a priority project for United Memorial Medical Center, and another example of Rochester Regional Health’s unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of our rural residents. It means in a time of crisis, our community can get lifesaving critical care right here at home, reducing the need for difficult trips to bigger cities,” said Dan Ireland, RRH President & Chief Operating Officer, Finger Lakes Rural Hospitals. “We want to thank the Jerome Foundation for this generous donation, and for its continued support that allows us to provide world-class health care to our patients here in the Genesee County region.”
Over the years, the Jerome Foundation has supported several UMMC projects including the construction of a new Healthy Living Campus and new Radiology Department.
“The Jerome Foundation has a long history of supporting worthwhile organizations in our community and what can be more appropriate to our mission than continuing our financial assistance to United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC),” said Robert Balbick, The Jerome Foundation President. “UMMC provides our community with invaluable professional medical services and its commitment to do so in the future in part depends upon contributions from our community. This $150,000 gift to UMMC is an investment in that future for every one of us in this community.”
The expanded ICU will triple in size from its current space and include:
Ten private patient rooms with bathrooms
One bed dedicated to pediatric patients
Central nurses station, with workstations outside each room
Cutting-edge technology in each room including integrated telemedicine and enhanced monitoring capabilities, and additional lift and transfer equipment in the rooms
New ICU waiting room
UMMC is still completing all the future ICU’s design details and continues with its fundraising efforts.
Join the Richmond Memorial Library on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. as Perry Ground shares “Re-Thinking Thanksgiving: A Native American Perspective on an American Holiday.” This program is free and open to all. Recommended for families with children in 4th grade or higher and all adults.
Much of what people ‘know’ about Thanksgiving is actually a blend of fiction, myth, and history that has become widely accepted as truth. But the events of what we call “the First Thanksgiving” are nothing like our traditions today.
The creation of this holiday has little to do with the feast that took place in 1621 between the Pilgrims and the Indians. Storyteller and Cultural Educator, Perry Ground will give an overview of this very misunderstood holiday.
The presentation will discuss the actual events of 1621, including the feast, and the relationship between English settlers at Plymouth and the Wampanoag, the Native people who inhabited the area. The concept of Thanksgiving held by many Native Americans will be emphasized through the presentation. Learn the true story and re-think Thanksgiving- a great educational opportunity for all ages.
Presenter Perry Ground is a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. He has been telling stories for over 30 years as a means of educating people about the culture, beliefs, and history of the Haudenosaunee. Perry learned many of the stories he shares from elders of Native American communities and feels that practicing and perpetuating the oral traditions of Native people is an important responsibility.
Professionally, Perry has worked in several museums including The Children’s Museum of Houston, Sainte Marie among the Iroquois, and Ganondagan State Historic Site. He has shared stories at countless museums, libraries, classrooms, and festivals throughout the northeast and has guest lectured at numerous colleges.
Perry is the former Project Director of the Native American Resource Center within the Rochester (NY) City School District and served as the Frederick H. Minett Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) for the 2021-22 academic year.
For more information about Perry Ground, visit https://talkingturtlestories.com/ Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross Street in the City of Batavia. For more about the library, visit batavialibrary.org.
Rocco Pellegrino, standing at left, takes part of a Veterans Day ceremony Thursday morning at Batavia High School. The event included the school's chorus, band and string ensemble, fellow veterans and guest speaker Stephen Hawley. Photo by Joanne Beck
Looking at the short row of veterans seated at the front of the Frank Owens auditorium Thursday morning, one might come to a conclusion that Air Force veteran Lurando Mata had already realized: the pool is decreasing.
Mata and the other servicemen attended the annual Veterans Day ceremony hosted by Batavia High School. With each passing year, especially for older veterans of World War II and others of decades ago, those who were in the military are no longer here to share their stories.
Mata has lost a couple of buddies to COVID, he said, and his circle of comrades is definitely “shrinking.”
Yet he continues to attend the high school event, which this year included a talk by state Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, patriotic songs performed by the chorus, band and string groups, and recognition of veterans in the audience.
For Mata, his reason was simple as to why he wanted to be there.
“I’m involved in the community,” the 71-year-old said. “I volunteer for Crossroads and Care-a-van, we do events for people.”
As a Native American veteran — his tribe is based in Monterey, California — Mata has experienced hate and judgment, and he just keeps pressing on. He grew up in Washington State and was drafted while in college.
He served in the U.S. Army and in the Air Force Reserves during the Vietnam War, working first on helicopters and then on tanks in corrosion control.
He was with about a half dozen others who were asked to stand when their signature song for the Armed Forces was played.
High School Principal Jenni Wesp welcomed and introduced each segment of the program, seeming awestruck with emotion at one point.
“Wow, it’s giving you all the feels,” she said.
Rocco Pellegrino, who attends every year at the request of his two granddaughters and grandson, stood up during the Navy anthem.
“I come every year,” he said, putting his hand to his heart. “It hits right there. It’s very emotional.It just brings you back, you know. When I was in the service, it takes me back to when my brother served in Vietnam, he was in the infantry, and it was very trying moments, you know. “
Pellegrino, who came to Batavia from Italy when he was 10, wasn’t certain whether today’s youth can fully appreciate what this day is all about.
Rocco Pellegrino of Batavia, a U.S. Navy veteran. Photo by Joanne Beck
“I don’t think the kids really understand what we went through,” he said. “A lot of us were drafted. Some of us volunteered. My brother came back from Vietnam, and he says, ‘Rocco, whatever you do, if you get drafted, join the Air Force or the Navy, and see if you could stay out of ‘Nam.”
He was drafted and joined the Navy. It was “the best thing I ever did,” he said, “like they say, it made a man out of you.”
He was based in San Diego and enrolled in dental technician school, where he had the threat of being sent to Vietnam hanging over his head if he flunked out. “They put the fear of God in you,” he said.
“So it was up to you to make it, and then I came here to the East Coast. I was aboard the ship the USS Puget Sound for a year and a half. That was a destroyer tender,” he said.
State Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, a veteran of the Ohio Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserves, talks to students, school district and community members and fellow veterans Thursday morning during a Veterans Day event at Batavia High School. Photo by Joanne Beck
It’s the stories of those like Pellegrino and Mata that are important, Hawley said. He encouraged audience members to thank family members who serve or have served and ask them about their experiences.
“I’m sure many of you have grown up with family members, parents, grandparents, moms, dads, aunts, and uncles who served as well. I'd encourage you, when you go home later today, to take some time, to first thank them for their service and talk to them. And most importantly, in everyday life, but on Veterans Day especially, when you're talking to a veteran, listen to them, listen to what they have to say. Because, hopefully, they're speaking from their heart and from their minds,” Hawley said. “And we need to remember why we're able to assemble here today, free to exchange ideas and free to speak freedom of speech. So please thank a veteran for their service. Not only can their stories inspire us, but veterans also carry an incredible ability to work hard and to contribute to their community right here in Genesee County and right here in Batavia.
“We have one of the largest populations of veterans in all of New York State. And we can see that hard-working, determined spirit out in our own backyards,” he said. “This is the thing that makes Veterans Day so special; it isn't just about remembering the past. It’s about recognizing the heroes that are around us today. And every day.”
Veteran Lurando Mata, right, stands to be recognized during the Navy anthem Thursday at Batavia High School. Photo by Joanne Beck
Amidst the nighttime lights in downtown Batavia, the green-lit cupola of the old County Courthouse is part of Operation Green Light for veterans. Photo by Howard Owens
If you've been driving at night on Routes 5 or 33 and looked up at the Old County Courthouse, you've spotted the green-capped building already. Befitting of a patriotic theme, the lit cupola sits above the Upton Monument from the west, casting a faint lime green glow on the eagle.
While green may not seem so patriotic, it represents a yearly tradition that can't get any more red, white and blue, at least in spirit: Operation Green Light is all about offering up one's respect for veterans.
On Wednesday, the Genesee County Legislature proclaimed this time, which runs through Veteran's Day (Saturday) as an opportunity to place a green light in your home or business window to demonstrate "respect, admiration and the utmost gratitude for all of the men and women who have selflessly served their country and this community in the armed forces."
The proclamation continues:
WHEREAS, the contributions and sacrifices of the men and women who served in the Armed Forces have been vital in maintaining the freedoms and way of life enjoyed by our citizens, and
WHEREAS, Genesee County seeks to honor these individuals who have paid the high price for freedom by placing themselves in harm’s way for the good of all, and
WHEREAS, New York States Veteran Population has decreased by 44% over the last 20 years, and
WHEREAS, Veterans continue to serve their community in the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, church groups, civil service, and
WHEREAS, approximately 200,000 service members transition to civilian communities annually, and
WHEREAS, an estimated 20% increase of service members will transition to civilian life in the near future, and
WHEREAS, studies indicate that 44 percent to 72 percent of service members experience high levels of stress during the transition from military to civilian life, and
WHEREAS, active Military Service Members transitioning from military service are at a high risk for suicide during their first year after military service, and
WHEREAS, the Genesee County appreciates the sacrifices our United States Military Personnel made while defending freedom and believes accord them specific recognition in appreciation of their service and to demonstrate the honor and support they have earned. Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, with designation as a Green Light for Military Service County, Genesee County hereby declares from October through Veterans Day, November 11 th, 2023, a time to salute and honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform transitioning from Active Service, and be it further
RESOLVED, that in observance of Operation Green Light, the Genesee County Legislature encourages its citizens in patriotic tradition to recognize the importance of honoring all those whose immeasurable sacrifices helped to preserve freedom by displaying a green light in a window of their place of business or residence.
The cupola on top of the old County Courthouse, illuminated green, at 7 Main St., Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens
For the second time this year, the Genesee County Legislature is doing some profit-sharing.
The group agreed to share $1 million of unbudgeted revenue with the county’s towns, villages and the City of Batavia. Those bonuses willbe arriving in denominations from about $6,000 for the Village of Alexander up to just under $195,500 for the city.
It should be welcomed news for struggling municipal leaders, including Pembroke Town Supervisor Tom Schneider, who spoke up at the recent county budget hearing to remind legislators of the financial constraints that he and others are dealing with.Pembroke will be receiving $85,420.
Referred to as a voluntary distribution payment, the money is a collective unanticipated earnings from interest and sales tax proceeds. The last distribution was made in February.
The Legislature agreed Wednesday that, since “the County of Genesee recognizes the consideration and cooperation of the Towns, Villages and City of Batavia as partners in the delivery of services to our citizens,” it would like to make this voluntary distribution payment as listed below:
City of Batavia - $195,441
Town of Alabama - $ 32,116
Village of Alexander - $ 5,976
Town of Alexander - $ 34,030
Town of Batavia - $143,474
Village of Bergen - $ 15,520
Town of Bergen - $ 39,781
Town of Bethany - $ 32,507
Town of Byron - $ 34,611
Village of Corfu - $ 11,495
Town of Darien - $ 73,341
Village of Elba - $ 8,256
Town of Elba - $ 27,495
Village of LeRoy $ 58,008
Town of LeRoy - $ 66,461
Village of Oakfield - $ 15,228
Town of Oakfield - $ 23,098
Town of Pavilion - $ 44,522
Town of Pembroke - $ 85,420
Town of Stafford - $ 53,220
The funds are paid with $500,000 each of sales and use tax and interest and earnings, according to the related resolution.
Although the Town of Bergen vote and the total number for Byron-Bergen Public Library’s Proposition 3, known as Municipal 414, was favorable, the measure will only go into effect for the Town of Bergen, where residents’ yes supported the 55-cent annual tax with a majority yes vote.
Library Board President Sally Capurso clarified that with a statement Wednesday evening. She first thanked all voters who supported the proposal on behalf of the board of trustees.
“We are especially grateful to the residents of the Town of Bergen, where the proposal was passed, affording us the opportunity to become self-sustaining,” Capurso said. “Although the proposal did not pass in Byron, we were heartened by the support in that area. The Library will now receive the 55 cents/1,000 assessed value from the residents of the Town of Bergen. The BBPL Board of Trustees will continue to make annual requests to the Byron Town Board. The Byron Town Board has included a $6,200 contribution to the library in their 2024 budget.”
The Batavian had previously listed a total vote from both towns of 689 yes to to 618 no. Byron’s no vote outweighed the yes by 303 to 255, and since each town is counted separately, the new tax will not go into effect for Byron residents.
Each year, on Nov. 20, people worldwide take time to remember those lost to anti-transgender violence. This year, GLOW OUT will host four ceremonies in all GLOW counties simultaneously.
In a broad sense, the phrase “transgender” means anyone whose gender identity or expression is outside of the norms that society ascribes to the gender someone was assigned at birth. Some might take medication or have surgery to align their body with their gender, while others might not.
In the US, transgender people are more likely to be bullied, become homeless, go to jail, or experience violence than their cisgender (non-trans) peers. For these reasons and others, transgender people are also more likely to consider or attempt suicide.
Genesee County’s remembrance ceremony will take place at Old Batavia Courthouse on Main & Ellicott streets; the Zion Episcopal Church in Avon will host Livingston County’s vigil; the ceremony in Orleans County will be at the Rotary Park on Main Street in Medina; and the event in Wyoming County will be held on the street corner of Main & Borden in Perry. All of the vigils will begin at 7 p.m.
First officially observed in 1999, the International Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day of mourning initiated by a group of US transwomen. It began with a memorial service for Rita Hester, a Black transwoman who was killed in her Boston apartment, a murder that remains unsolved.
Annually, the remembrance ceremony is held in a somber acknowledgment of the friends and loved ones taken too soon because of anti-transgender violence.
Anti-transgender violence happens nationwide, resulting in a troubling number of murdered trans people every year. As transphobia intersects with sexism and racism, a large proportion of victims (every single year) are trans women of color - specifically, Black and Latina.
Overall, the number of those killed in the US has declined since 2021 (59, with 41 in 2022). As of this writing, at least 25 transgender Americans have been killed in 2023. Because the Remembrance period begins in November, those killed in the Club Q anti-transgender mass shooting in Colorado in November 2022 will be included in the list read at the vigils. This list is likely incomplete, because of the misreporting and underreporting of these crimes. Some have been disrespected in death by using their “dead name”, the name they were assigned at birth.
Since 2009, November 13-19 has been recognized as Trans Awareness Week. This observation creates the opportunity to uplift joys and successes for our trans loved ones as well. This week allows us to remind our transgender community that their lives are more than tragedy.
After all, we cannot wait for someone to die to give them their flowers. We owe it to their memory and to our future to recognize the importance of supporting and celebrating our transgender loved ones, community members, and friends – remembering them in death, yes, and loving them while they are alive.
Overall, citizens throughout Genesee County supported measures to keep incumbents in place, add a tax to ensure services at Byron-Bergen library, and include Batavia and all small city schools in removal from special constitutional debt limits.
The totals for Byron-Bergen Public Library’s proposition vote have changed, though citizens of the towns of Byron and Bergen are still leaning toward approval of a new tax, with votes of 689 yes to 618 no.
Results from the general election were not complete in the Town of Byron as of Tuesday night, according to the Board of Elections.
The library vote for Proposition 3 to establish an annual 55-cent per $1,000 assessed valuation was supported at the time by a vote of 545 yes to 467 no. As of Wednesday afternoon, those numbers shifted to 689 yes to 618 no from the towns of Byron and Bergen.
Library board President Sally Capurso has not responded to requests for comment about what that will mean for the library as of Wednesday afternoon.
Genesee County Republican Committee Chairman Scott German stepped into the role for his first general election, filling the seat of resigning chair Dick Siebert.
Several Republican incumbents retained their seats, and German was “obviously, very pleased” with Tuesday’s results, he said.
“First, I’d like to thank our previous county Republican chairman Richard Siebert for providing us with excellent candidates. Then once in office, our Republican candidates do a great job, starting with our chair of the legislature Shelley Stein, who provides great leadership to our county government,” German said Wednesday. “Our legislators have led our county through some tough times while keeping our county taxes under the tax cap for several years. I think the voters of Genesee County appreciate what a great job Republicans do for the taxpayers of this great county.”
Likewise, Batavia City Schools Superintendent Jason Smith was happy with the news that voters, not only locally but across New York State, approved Proposition 1, which will have a direct impact on small city schools.
The Batavian asked Smith a few questions about the vote and related new law.
Are you surprised at the outcome? What does this mean for Batavia City Schools? “Given the positive advocacy and support that occurred for this proposition, I am not surprised at today’s outcome. We at BCSD are grateful for the support of the voters of New York for supporting this important proposition,” Smith said. “The passage of this ballot will essentially place small schools on equal footing as our other district counterparts, where we are now allowed to borrow an additional 5 percent of our assessed value for future capital projects. However, this will not impact the current capital improvement project we recently proposed.”
Why do you think voters went this way, given that it means small city districts can incur more debt to take on more/bigger capital projects? “It is an antiquated law that needed to be updated, and again, we at BCSD are grateful that voters recognized that,” Smith said. “Small city school districts should have the same limits as others, and our students and programs will only stand to benefit.”
What realistic impact will this have on future tax rates if school districts are acquiring more debt to do more projects? “As with the project that we have currently proposed, which if passed will result in no tax increase, our Board and I recognize the need to be conservative in planning for budgets and capital projects,” Smith said. “That being said, had this law been in effect for this current project, we would have been able to borrow additional funds to support more improvements and upgrades while keeping our commitment to no additional taxes.”
Do you already have ideas for what BCSD needs in terms of future capital projects? When could Batavia put this new debt limit change into effect, given you have a capital project on the books and up for vote right now? “There are several items on our recently completed building condition survey that did not make it into the BCSD Reimagined Project (our current proposal), and we will undoubtedly revisit those items again,” he said. “However, essential and critical safety items were included in this project. I would suspect it would be at least three to five years before we consider another capital project, assuming we have a positive vote on Thursday, December 14.”
Unofficial voting across the state showed that nearly 57 percent of residents supported the measure of Proposition 1 to allow for the removal of small city school districts from special constitution debt limits, with 1,381,911 voting yes and 31.4 percent, or 766,036 voting no.
Locally in Genesee County, district residents also approved, with 3,153 yes votes and 2,460 voting no.
Patricia McDonald, 37, of East Avenue, Batavia, is charged with offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree and grand larceny 3rd after an investigation by Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi. McDonald is accused of falsely reporting that her children were residing with her in order to obtain additional SNAP benefits in the amount of $2,501. McDonald was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on her own recognizance.
James Harris, 63, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 4th and welfare fraud 4th after an investigation by Genesee County Department of Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi. Harris is accused of failing to report income from a job he had, resulting in him receiving $2,395 in SNAP benefits he was not entitled to. Harris was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on his own recognizance.
Remy Lacey, 33, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with welfare fraud 3rd and grand larceny 3rd after an investigation by Genesee County Department of Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi. Lacey is accused of failing to report wages from a job he held, resulting in him receiving $3,326 in SNAP benefits he was not entitled to. Lacey was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on his own recognizance.
The Democratic Party won a few seats in Tuesday’s election, all three local propositions on the ballot got a thumbs up from voters, Republicans held onto a number of incumbent seats, and a City Council newcomer received his first 158 votes for office during Tuesday’s general election in Genesee County.
Candidates Michelle Krzemien came out on top with a combined total of 334 votes for Darien town justice against Republican candidate Jennifer Nunnery, with 258 votes, and, at the time of this article being published, Candace Hensel, running on the Democratic and Republican tickets, was winning with a total 168 to incumbent Peter Yasses’ 97 for Byron town supervisor. Byron's results were not completely in by the time this was published, according to the county's Board of Elections website.
Genesee County Democratic Committee Chairman Michael Plitt said the committee spoke to several people about also running for City Council, but “it was just not the right time to devote themselves to running in an election,” he said.
“However, the next election starts now, and the Genesee County Democrats would love to talk with anyone who might consider running next time,” he said after unofficial results were posted Tuesday night. “Regardless if you want to run, we encourage people to attend local government meetings.”
Batavia resident Derek Geib received 158 total votes for Ward 3 on City Council, and he will take his seat on council on Jan. 1 to fill the spot to be vacated by incumbent John Canale, who opted not to run. All positions on the council were unopposed, as were all Genesee County legislator positions.
Other races:
Voters kept Thomas Sanfratello, with 234, and Gerald Krupa Jr., with 216, in Alexander Town Council seat, while Sarah Kohl had 132 votes.
Voters gave Joel Pocock the Bergen highway superintendent seat with 547 votes versus 198 for Chad Roggow, and Teresa Robinson 461 votes for town clerk versus 278 for Marcy Vanderstow.
Republican candidates Alfred Klycek and Nathan Knickerbocker garnered votes of 179 and 167, respectively, for Byron town council, and Sarah Stockwell had 108.
Michael Grant came out on top with 432 votes for Darien town council, with Timothy Benton in second with 399 and Benjamin Kohlhagen in third with 191 votes.
Pembroke Town Council candidate Kathleen Manne received 451 votes, Thomas Dix 350, Helen Trowbridge Haines received 239, and there were write-in votes of 118.
There were three candidates for Stafford Town Council, and Terry Young, with 253, and Robert Pacer, with 201, took the two seats, with Cathy Worthington receiving 150 votes.
Plitt thanked the poll workers and “folks who stepped up to run this year to give voters a choice.” The Batavian asked what he thought about this year’s voter turnout, which by early voting, seemed to be on the low side.
“Voter turnout is always lower in local election years, although an individual vote could change the results in the local election,” he said.
Voters approved all three propositions on the ballot, which were: Prop. 1 to allow for the removal of small city school districts from special constitutional debt limits, 3,153 yes to 2,460 no; Prop. 2 to extend sewage project debt exclusions from the debt limit, 3,265 yes to 2,337 no; and Prop. 3 to establish an annual tax in the amount of $0.55/$1,000 (fifty-five cents per one thousand dollars) of assessed value in order to support the operation of the Byron-Bergen Public Library, to begin Jan. 1, 2024, 545 yes to 467 no.
Election results are unofficial.
Genesee County Republican Committee Chairman Scott German was not available for comment Tuesday night.
The cast of the one-act play, Mr. Icky by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Photo by Howard Owens.
This month's night (or afternoon) of theater at Main St. 56 Theater at Batavia City Centre consists of three one-act plays performed by members of Batavia Players.
The plays are:
"The Bear," by Anton Chekov
"Mr. Icky," by F. Scott Fitzgerald
"Verbatim," by Albi Gorn
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $16 for adults and $14 for students and seniors.
