news

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C - Batavia) has been re-appointed as deputy minority leader of the New York State Assembly. Hawley has served in a leadership role with the Assembly Republican Conference for many years following his first election in 2006. He will continue the fight for lower taxes on the middle class as well as a new moratorium of no state tax on gasoline and home fuel.

Hawley will also serve as a member of the following committees:

• Agriculture Committee
• Insurance Committee
• Rules Committee
• Veteran Affairs Committee
• Ways and Means Committee

“I am proud and grateful to once again hold a leadership position within the Assembly Republican Conference,” Hawley said. “I would like to thank Minority Leader Will Barclay for entrusting me with this responsibility. There are many issues I hope to solve during this upcoming legislative session, and affordability is at the top of my list.”

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the winners of the People’s Choice and Director’s Choice awards for the 21^st Annual Wonderland of Trees decorated trees. The winner of the People’s Choice Award is the Stafford Garden Club, and the winner of the Director’s Choice Award is WBTA AM & FM (top photo). We would like to congratulate our winners, and thank everyone who participated this year. We had more trees this year than in recent years, and they were all so beautifully done that the choices were very difficult. Also, thank you to everyone who donated towards the event, and all who came to see the wonderfully decorated trees.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its next Trivia Night at the Museum on Thursday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. This month’s topic is “Ellis Island”. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. If you would like to attend, please contact the museum at (585) 343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its next Guest Speaker Series on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. Kevin Pawlak will present on “Western New Yorkers on America’s Bloodiest Day.” Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members.

“New York State contributed more soldiers to the United States Army at the Battle of Antietam than any other state. Western New Yorkers fought in many of the well-known places on the Antietam battlefield, from the Cornfield to the Bloody Lane to the Burnside Bridge. Learn about the stories of some of these local soldiers during the bloodiest single day in American military history.”

Kevin Pawlak is a Historic Site Manager for Prince William County’s Office of Historic Preservation. He also works as a Certified Battlefield Guide at Antietam National Battlefield and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Kevin is the author of numerous articles and is the author of five books on the American Civil War.

Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. If you would like to attend, please contact the museum at (585) 343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department has recently been investigating a plethora of larcenies from vehicles in the city.

These thefts have been occurring mainly in the overnight hours, and from (unfortunately) unlocked motor vehicles.

Patrols remain vigilant in the overnight hours, and we are asking for assistance from the public to reduce these incidents.

Please remember:

• ALWAYS lock your car doors.
• Leave exterior lighting on if possible.
• ALWAYS lock your car doors.
• Remove valuables from your vehicle.
• ALWAYS lock your car doors.

Theft prevention starts with you, and it begins before you even leave your vehicle.

As always, if you notice anything suspicious around your property, please do not hesitate to contact the police department at (585) 345-6350.

I forgot to post this on Jan. 1, but here are the ten most viewed stories on The Batavian in 2022.

• Actor and business owner Wendy Williams passes, press release
• Ground shifts under Pembroke family home, forced to evacuate with help of volunteer firefighters, by Howard Owens
• Homicide investigation underway at dairy farm in Alexander, by Howard Owens
• U of R Medical Center to temporarily halt services in Batavia, by Joanne Beck
• Batavia man wins $1 million with lottery scratcher, press release
• Genesee County travel ban to be partially lifted at noon, press release
• With an agreement to buy O'Lacy's in hand, Christiano promises continuation of the Irish pub theme, by Mike Pettinella
• Pavilion campground venture merges entrepreneurship with family values, by Joanne Beck
• Citizen alerts police to suspicious activity, two men accused of trying to steal heavy equipment, by Howard Owens
• Genesee County declares State of Emergency, institutes travel ban, press release

The Batavian was visited by users more than 5.7 million times in 2022, and the site received 9,639,357 page views.  

Thank you for your continued support of The Batavian.

A Buffalo-based attorney who has represented local residents in criminal cases, including a former Batavia High School basketball star he helped win acquittal in a jury trial, has been suspended from practicing law for three years.

Frank T. Housh was suspended by the Fourth Judicial Department of New York for misconduct, mishandling of client funds, neglecting clients, and engaging in conduct involving dishonesty and deceit.  

All of the cases involve clients retained in civil matters, not criminal cases, and the clients are not identified in the court's written, seven-page ruling (pdf), so it's unclear where the clients may reside.

Attempts to contact Housh for comment were unsuccessful.

The cases involving misconduct go as far back as 2015 and include misuse of retainer payments, failure to inform clients of case progress, not following through on promises to clients, including not filing cases against defendants, and even apparently falling for another party's attempt to fraudulently obtain a client's lawsuit settlement funds.

The court found, among other findings, that Housh: 

• In July 2017, he took a $2,500 retainer and co-mingled it with his law firm's operating funds and did not file the complaint as promised, and then tried to bill the client for additional hours;
• In January 2016, took a $2,500 retainer and co-mingled the funds, then failed to consult with the client on the case and failed to follow through on the case;
• In August 2015, took funds and did not communicate adequately with the client or follow through on the case;
• In February 2017, he was retained in a case where a child had been suspended from school for 35 days and then did not communicate with the client or follow through on efforts to reduce the suspension until after the 35 days had passed and then promised to take further legal proceedings but did not;
• In March 2016, he agreed to represent a family in a bullying case and then failed to respond to his client's numerous inquiries about the case and later led the client to believe a lawsuit and been filed, but he did not file a lawsuit;
• In June 2016, he agreed to assist parents with a special needs child, but after getting no help from Housh, the family obtained its own educational support;
• The oddest assertion is that Housh transferred $137,800 of settlement funds to an LLC without confirming the LLC was associated with his client.

Housh was suspended following a legal process that began with a Grievance Committee receiving multiple complaints about the attorney's conduct.  The committee filed a petition with the court outlining 10 complaints, which Housh denied. The court appointed a referee to investigate and hold a hearing, but then the parties agreed on a stipulation upholding many of the factual allegations.  The hearing focused on unresolved issues and Housh's assertion -- the potential mitigating factor of his conduct -- that he suffered from mental health issues during this period.

The referee concluded that any mental health issues were unrelated to the misconduct and that Housh did not act with "venal intent." 

The court disagreed with the referee's conclusion as to the attorney's intent.

 The ruling concludes:

Indeed, although we commend respondent (Housh) for seeking mental health treatment, we agree with the Referee that respondent failed to establish that the misconduct at issue in this case was caused by mental health issues. We disaffirm, however, the Referee’s advisory finding that respondent did not act with venal intent inasmuch as the record establishes that respondent engaged in an extensive course of misconduct that resulted in harm or prejudice to several clients and that was, at times, deceitful and knowingly in favor of respondent’s personal interests at the expense of the interests of his clients and his professional obligations as a lawyer. We further agree with the Referee’s finding that, during respondent’s hearing testimony, respondent often became evasive when questioned about circumstances surrounding the alleged misconduct and his own culpability for the misconduct, which in our view, demonstrates respondent’s lack of remorse or inability to acknowledge the extent of his wrongdoing.

Housh represented Antwan Odom, of Batavia, in 2019 after Odom, then 18, was charged with attempted assault, and criminal possession of a weapon, 4th following a dispute with a former teammate.

Odom was acquitted in a trial that was as colorful as Housh's singular sartorial style. Housh frequently clashed with then-District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, even seeking to have Friedman disqualified from prosecuting the case. Housh's potentially prejudicial statements to reporters early in the case led to then-Judge Charles Zambito instituting a gag order, which The Batavian successfully challenged.

The two attorneys also tangled during jury selection, and then, on another occasion, Housh suggested Friedman was involved in inappropriate communications with the judge.

Housh was representing criminal defendants in Genesee County just prior to his suspension. The Batavian does not have information immediately available on those cases.

Photo: File photo of Frank Housh by Howard Owens

Jim Owen enjoyed a milkshake Tuesday morning and asked The Batavian to take his picture during her visit to see him at Crossroads House.

Owen is no typical City of Batavia resident, and taking his picture has become commonplace amongst local media during special events. So commonplace, in fact, that when he saw a second volunteer, he wanted a picture taken with her as well. 

Crowned the Mayor of Redfield Parkway by City Council for his longtime civic and neighborly involvement in the community, Owen has been fighting his most important battle this year: esophageal cancer.

His temporary residency at United Memorial Medical Center brought many visitors to his room, and the flow of people has not stopped at the Liberty Street comfort care home that he moved into more recently. It has been so busy with well-wishers that it has, at times, been hard to keep up with the continuous traffic.

Crossroads staff and friends have been maintaining his online presence and posting updates. This was the latest one:

“Update on Jim, and a reminder from the Crossroads staff. Jim is still resting and being well taken care of at Crossroads House. Visitors are still welcome and very much appreciated; however, we want everyone to know that Jim has grown somewhat more confused over the last several days.  The staff feels that the visitors Jim receives are comforting and beneficial to him, but asked us to remind everyone to keep the visits to no more than 15 to 30 minutes in length so he can get his rest.

Again, please do not let this message discourage anyone from coming to visit, but just be advised of the Crossroads House staff wishes which they feel are best for Jim. Thank you, and we will keep you informed of any changes or news.”

Likewise, people have responded with likes, hearts, care emojis and fond messages of encouragement. Visitors may also sign a guest registry and offer words of comfort to Jim, who, despite seeming tired, still has his sense of humor and kindness intact.

During Tuesday’s visit, he said that volunteer Julie Mancuso lives on his street. He then corrected himself to say that “I live on her street.” And as they discussed which street was the best in the city, he gave a thoughtful pause and rephrased it all together.

“The best street is the street you live on,” he said.

He knew this reporter and The Batavian’s publisher — who he refers to as his adopted brother. (Jim’s last name is Owen versus Howard Owens.)

When many people in his situation would be thinking about things they missed out on in life, Jim talked about how he wanted to do more for the community during Tuesday's visit, Owens said. 

"He said he always tried to treat people well because 'when you feel good about yourself, you do good things. You make a contribution,'" Owens said. "He said he would like to see a scholarship set up to help people with his disease. Jim Owen has spent his life trying to teach us all to be better human beings, and even now, he's still trying to spread that message."

Jim seems to be absorbed in wanting to help people, help the community, and perhaps even help the world in some way. He described himself as just a pin or cog in the wheel of life, but if he can make at least one person happy, he has accomplished something.

Jim Owen, you have done far more than that. You have reached out to neighbors and friends, shared tidbits of Batavia and Owen family history, garnered support for the naming of the BHS auditorium after your late father Frank E., fought for the restoration of Redfield’s well-known pillars that have served as guideposts to the VA Medical Center, and greeted, supported, chatted with and smiled upon countless folks during your longtime commitment to Batavia and its citizens.

That’s not only worthy of a milkshake and a photo, but also a grateful nod of thanks from your friends and community members.

Mission accomplished.

Top photo of city resident and Mayor of Redfield Parkway Jim  Owen enjoying a milkshake with volunteer Cathy Winding Tuesday at Crossroads House in Batavia; and above, also with volunteer Gail Wysko. Photos by Joanne Beck.

As the Western New York weather rollercoaster continues its ride — with predictions of another blizzard looming for next weekend — it would be nice to have something to look forward to.

And downtown Batavia’s Business Improvement District has the answer, Executive Director Shannon Maute says.

Febrewary.

“It’s a chill event,” Maute said Tuesday, no pun intended. “People are out and enjoying themselves … there’s something for everybody.”

The event, set for 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 25, was just picking up steam for a few years when COVID hit and it was derailed in 2021, resuming the crafty beer fun walk last year.

A close replica to the BID’s popular fall wine walk, Febrewary features tastings — 21 stops are planned this year — at various downtown merchants, many of which will have specials, drawings, and giveaways, Maute said.

She is still lining up the lead performers, but 810 Meadworks of Medina, Windy Brew from Sheldon and OSB Ciderworks from Buffalo have been confirmed. Not familiar with a mead? This libation is made with honey, and dates back to Biblical times as “probably the first fermented beverage,” the company’s website states.

“More versatile than liquor, wine, or beer, mead can taste like a refreshing summer shandy, a hoppy IPA, a full-bodied Cabernet, or a fine dessert wine,” it states.

Windy Brew is a Wyoming County-based brewery of craft beers, and OSB’s lineup of ciders will be featuring anything from the crispy bite of homegrown concord grapes from along the Finger Lakes, and Intergalactic Raspberry combined with hibiscus flower, to the Scotch Bonnet Bomber, described as “apple forward with a throat chop of spicy.”

Of course, brewmasters such as Eli Fish of Batavia are also expected to participate, as Maute is seeking out a sour, Belgian witbier, stout, lager and other varieties of craft brew.

Maute was interim director of BID when this February event came up as her first official one, and it has been a favorite ever since, she said.

“It’s an event I like, people are just having fun,” Maute said.

General admission tickets are $30 and include a collectible snifter glass, snacks along the way, raffles and giveaways and tastings. VIP tickets are $40 and include all of the regular features plus an extra hour, from 4 to 8 p.m., an exclusive tasting and a food station.

Designated drivers will be able to partake of the specials, raffles, snacks and non-alcoholic tastings for $10.

“A lot of people were happy with the way it was at the wine walk (for DD’s),” Maute said. “They will be able to do everything, except for the tastings.”

There will be a total of 600 tickets, and 25 for designated drivers. They may be purchased at Event Brite, and there will be a limited number of paper tickets available at Adam Miller Toy & Bicycle shop on Center Street and Yngodess on Main Street, Batavia. For more information, go to BID Febrewary. 

Top two photos of 2022's event by Howard Owens. Photo above submitted by Shannon Maute.

John Kennedy was born in England on September 17, 1846. He was one of a family of 14 brothers and sisters. He moved to a farm in Iowa in 1875.  John served in the Civil War; after the war, he became superintendent of an Iowa school district.

In 1890 the Batavia School District asked Mr. Kennedy to come to Batavia and serve as superintendent for the village school system. He served as superintendent for 23 years. His system for the village school was known as the Batavia System. He believed that if children were stimulated, they could educate themselves. 

John Kennedy was also a famous author and had many books to his name. His book, The Genesee Country, was published in 1895, during his time as superintendent from 1893 to 1913.

John was a writer with quite a descriptive flair. The chapter I found very interesting was called "Patriot-Not Financier." In this chapter, John Kennedy was distraught. He did not want Robert Morris to be remembered as a financier of the American Revolution. In John Kennedy's eyes, Robert Morris was a patriot who wanted America to be independent. He wanted the American government to stand with the firmest foundation. To achieve this, Robert Morris put everything in jeopardy: his good name, his life, and his fortune. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He rescued George Washington's troops in 1777 and prevented the army's dispersion by raising $50,000 of his own money for the war.

In Kennedy's opinion, if Morris had not appeared on the scene or had died during the struggle, the revolution would have collapsed.   It is upsetting to read that Robert Morris died in debtor's prison in the United States of America within a few years after the adoption of the Constitution, which he helped frame.    

We have a Constitution and a Union primarily because George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Robert Morris sat in the convention that devised our great document.

As John Kennedy ended his chapter on Robert Morris, he said, "We are living here on his beautiful farm, the famous Holland Land purchase, and more famous still by having had for its first owner the patriot Robert Morris." 

John Kennedy and Robert Morris are still remembered today, with the John Kennedy Intermediate School on Vine Street and the  Robert Morris Primary School on Union Street. What is impressive is that John Kennedy had the foresight in the 1800s to write about Robert Morris' legacy in the hopes that he would be remembered as a true patriot.  

John Kennedy has to be acknowledged not only for the many books to his name but for his outstanding reputation as the school superintendent for the Village of Batavia. His system emphasized individual instruction of students, which was copied by school districts nationwide.

Genesee County's smallest volunteer fire department shouldered a big burden during the pre-Christmas blizzard that blew through Genesee County a week ago, providing rest, warmth and food to about 60 people stranded in the area by the storm.

The Indian Falls Volunteer Fire Department has 12 members, but only six could muster the storm response because the rest were trapped in their homes by heavy snow.

For Chief Ed Mileham, the department's response began Friday morning, Dec. 23, when the dispatchers informed him that deputies had rescued two people and wanted to bring them to the Indian Falls Fire Hall to provide them shelter.

Sure, Mileham said, he would be to the hall in 20 minutes.

But getting there wasn't that easy. The storm was already blowing through the area and the passage from his home on Indian Falls Road to the fire hall on Route 77 was already covered in snow drifts.  It took close to half an hour for him to make the trip.

At 2 p.m., a couple more people arrived, then a few more, then a few more. 

"After a couple more people arrived, I called Lu (Lu Anne Mileham) and said, 'hey, can you put out a message to anyone available?'" Mileham said.

Dave Olsen said he couldn't get out of his yard, but Mileham spoke with another resident who had a snowplow, and he went and cleared a path for Olsen and his son Max.

With Max Olsen on board, the department could start participating in some rescues. 

"I started to get actual phone calls here at the Fire Hall," Mileham said. "'Hey, we're stuck here. We're stuck there.' Max went out, picked them up and brought them in. By five o'clock, I think we had 12 people here. By six o'clock, I called Lu and I said, 'Hey, can you do some sloppy joes up?' I said. 'I got 12 people down here,' but the time she got done making sloppy joes and I sent Max down to pick them up, and it was seven o'clock, and we had 20 people."

By midnight, the count was up to 40 people, and by Saturday morning, it was 60.

And it was quite a mix of people -- a group of young Asians, a couple from Munich, a couple from Poland, folks from California going to Niagara Falls, an ER doctor returning from work in Rochester to his home in Williamsville.  There were people from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Canada, and Maryland.

"It was a large number of people that were either coming from or going to Canada," Max said. "I think that might have been like a GPS thing. It wasn't the whole crowd by any means, but there was a definite consistency that they were all using their GPS, and it kept closing roads and redirecting them, so like, it seemed they kind of almost got funneled into this area."

The Indian Falls response to this influx of people was handled by Ed Mileham, Lu Anne Mileham, Dave Olsen, Max Olsen, Matt Delre, and Randy Filter.

The leadership came from Mileham, and Dave Olsen gives him all the credit for keeping things in order.

"We got a lot of comments that (the situation) was handled, probably, as best as it possibly could be," Olsen said. "With some of the people, they complimented the chief quite a bit for his professionalism and the way he kept everything in order and had a plan and kept things written down. You know, he had an organization. He thought ahead. He thought about getting the food and things that, Most of us were just thinking about, 'Oh, what's the next fresh hell is that this storm is going to bring?'"

No serious issues
In Oakfield, volunteers were called upon to deal with a couple of hypothermia cases that were very serious. Indian Falls was spared any dire medical cases but there was a woman who arrived at the hall from Oakfield. She has epilepsy and had left home without her medication. It had been more than eight years since she'd had a seizure.  After several hours, she informed Mileham that she was getting a headache, so he arranged for one of the convoys that were sweeping the area to pick up stranded motorists to transport her back to Oakfield.

Then there was the guy who showed up in a kevlar vest packing a sidearm.

It turns out he is private security for a company in Rochester.

"He walked in, and there were like five deputies, and one was Joe Graff (the chief deputy of investigations)," Mileham said. "He comes walking in. He's got his bulletproof vest on. He's got his pistol on. It's like two o'clock in the morning. 'Whoa, wait, who are you? Let's see your permit.' Had no ID. No wallet. Nothing."

He had left his wallet in his car.

The deputies took his vest and gun and secured it, and told him he could pick it up Monday at the Sheriff's Office.

"The guy said, 'Hey, I've got no problem with it. I'll see you Monday or Tuesday.'"

That level of cooperation was apparent throughout the two days folks were stranded at the Indian Falls Fire Hall, Mileham said.  People just got along and cooperated.  

The first night's sleeping arrangements weren't ideal. Since the number of travelers coming through the area was unexpected, Indian Falls wasn't quite prepared to host 60 people.  There were no cots or blankets on hand.

Fortunately, the hall's floor is heated.

"Everybody said that, once they got laid on the floor, they were pretty warm and comfortable," Mileham said.

The Red Cross delivered cots and blankets on Saturday so the second night at the shelter was a bit more comfortable.

Feeding sixty unexpected guests
The hard part was food.

Lu Anne Mileham hadn't exactly prepared to feed 60 travelers, but with the storm coming, she had stocked up in case she needed to feed department members.

"On Wednesday or Thursday, I happened to be at BJs and I thought, you know what, I'll pick up a couple of loaves of bread, some chips, some lunch meat and stuff," Lu Anne said. "I'm thinking if our guys get caught here, at least we'll have that, and we've got water and soda in the fridge, so but at least they'll have something to eat a little bit."

She also had some supplies at home, and with some kids in the hall, a couple of boxes of mac and cheese came in handy.

On Saturday morning, Mileham contacted Crosby's in Corfu and ordered six sheets of breakfast pizza.

Later that day, he ordered pizza from a new pizza shop in Corfu, and by then, he was aware that some of the Indians in the group were vegans, so he had to get some meatless options.  One guy wanted a white sauce pizza, too, so Mileham ordered a pizza with white sauce.

The one difficulty Mileham couldn't solve for one of his department's guests was getting the Buffalo Bills game on the TV.  Spectrum was out of service during the storm.

"He goes, 'really?' I go, 'Hey, I'm with you. If you can get it on your phone, great."

When The Batavian told Tim Yaeger, Genesee County's emergency management coordinator, that we were doing a story about the storm response of the Indian Falls Volunteer Fire Department, he texted back immediately, "Ed and Lu Anne Mileham specifically are truly amazing people.  From working the COVID vaccination site at GCC to covering calls in the West Battalion on a daily basis, we would be lost and in trouble without them."

It turns out, so would have been a bunch of people from throughout North America and Europe on Dec. 23 and 24 when Winter Storm Elliott hit Western New York.

See previously: 'Fast Eddy' hangs up badge after 32 years of police work

Top photo: By Howard Owens, of Max Oslen, Dave Olsen, Lu Anne Mileham, and Ed Mileham.

Photos below, courtesy of Ed Mileham.

Jose A. Rivera, 36, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st, attempted promoting prison contraband 1st, and Ida M. Vanorden, 36, of Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with conspiracy 5th. Rivera and Vandorden are accused of conspiracy along with an unknown male, to introduce contraband into the Genesee County Jail. The contraband was intercepted by corrections officers on Dec. 26. Rivera is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection. Both Rivera and Vanorden were issued appearance tickets.  The investigation is ongoing, and deputies are attempting to identify the third suspect. Any person who may have additional information are requested to contact Deputy Nicholas Charmoun at (585) 345-3000, ext. 3258

Ledeja K. Wright, 32, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with torture/injure animal/fail to provide sustenance. Wright is accused of leaving a dog in an apartment after moving out and failing to provide sustenance to the animal. The incident was reported Nov. 30. Wright was arrested Dec. 15. She was arraigned in City Court and released. The dog is at the Animal Shelter. 

Vicki Lynne Manns, 52, of Brookville Road, Alexander, is charged with menacing 2nd, criminal possession of a weapon 4th, assault 3rd, and harassment 2nd.  Manns is accused of throwing a tray at a person, causing an injury. She is also accused of pointing a firearm at the same person. She was issued an appearance ticket.Robert L. Drennen is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. Drennen is accused of causing damage to a residence in the City of Batavia on Dec. 23. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Julie R. Richardson, 31, of Batavia,  is charged with grand larceny 4th, petit larceny, conspiracy 5th and tampering with evidence. Richardson is accused of stealing from a vehicle on South Main Street, Batavia, on Nov. 16. Richardson was arrested after an investigation by Officer Nicole McGinnis.

Andrew A. Crimes, 50, of West Main Street Road,  Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st and aggravated family offense. Crimes is accused of violating an order of protection by contacting the protected party on Dec. 9. He was arraigned in City Court and released.

Deanna L. Yox, 37, of Clifford Street, Buffalo, is charged with petit larceny. Yox is accused of stealing from a business in Batavia in February 2020. She was arrested Dec. 21 following an investigation by officers Felicia Martinez and Wesley Rissinger. Yox was released on an appearance ticket.

Malinda J. Falk, 41, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd and criminal obstruction of breathing/blood circulation. Falk is accused of attacking another individual on Dec. 17 at a location on East Main Street, Batavia. Falk was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance. 

David L. Weaver, 32, of Atlanta, Illinois, is charged with harassment 2nd. Weaver is accused of striking another person during a disturbance on Dec. 10. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Dustin T. Forkell, 31, of Holley, is charged with petit larceny and false impersonation. Forkell is accused of stealing property from a local business on Dec. 11 and fleeing. He was located at another business in the Town of Batavia, at which time he allegedly provided a false name to officers. He was arrested, processed at Batavia PD, and issued an appearance ticket. The incident was investigated by officers Wesly Rissinger and Megan Crossett

An 18-year-old of Washington Avenue, Batavia, is charged with assault 3rd and criminal mischief. An 18-year-old resident is accused of attacking another person on Dec. 14 with an iPad, causing an injury. The youth was arraigned in City Court and released. 

Brittanee J. Hooten, of State Street, in Batavia, was arrested on two bench warrants after having failed to appear on an appearance ticket on prior arrests. Hooten was arraigned on Dec. 14 in City Court and released. 

Karrie A. Morrow, 40, of Summit Street, Batavia, was arrested on several outstanding Bench Warrants. Morrow was arrested on Dec. 14 after she was located during an unrelated incident. The warrants stem from several petit larceny cases at local businesses. Morrow was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Jeffrey M. VanEpps, 45, of Albion, is charged with criminal mischief and attempted assault 3rd. VanEpps was allegedly involved in a disturbance at a business on West Main Street on Dec. 14. He was arraigned in City Court and released.

Jacob A. Richards, 34, of Rochester, is charged with possession of a forged instrument 1st and grand larceny 4th. Richards allegedly passed a forged check at a local bank. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on bail.

Terrance L. Falk, 24, of North Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th and assault 3rd. Falk was allegedly involved in a disturbance on an unspecified date in the City of Batavia. After initially fleeing the scene, according to police, he was located and taken into custody without incident. He was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Byron K. Bell, 53, of Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 3rd, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd and speeding. Bell was stopped on Dec. 11 in the City of Batavia by Officer Josh Girvin and Officer Bryan Moscicki. Bell was allegedly driving a stolen vehicle while on a suspended license. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed.

Harry R. Silliman, 58, of Batavia, is charged with trespass. Silliman was allegedly on property on Maple Street without permission. He was arrested and issued an appearance ticket.

Zakara R. Jackson, age 19, of Trumbull Parkway, Batavia, is charged with bail jumping 2nd and failure to appear. Jackson was arrested on a warrant on Dec. 8 He was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Daquan J. Butler, 26, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny.  Butler is accused of stealing an iPhone 13 from another person on Ross Street on Dec. 3. He was arraigned in City Court and released.

Raymond Lunday Kelley, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with a false written statement. Kelley allegedly provided law enforcement with a false written statement related to an incident reported at Batavia Downs at 11:59 p.m., Dec. 16. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Douglas Wayne Logsdon, 74, of Big Tree Road, Pavilion, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment 2nd. Logsdon allegedly threw items at a person while a child was present during an incident reported at 5:41 p.m., Dec. 16 at a location on Big Tree Road, Pavilion. Logsdon was arraigned in Town of Pavilion Court and released.

Rachel B. Solomon, 30, of North Lake Road, Pembroke, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd and harassment 2nd. Solomon is accused of violating an order of protection by harassing an individual at 1 p.m. on Dec. 22. She was arraigned in Town of Pembroke Court and ordered held without bail. Solomon is also charged with aggravated criminal contempt, assault 3rd, and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from an incident reported at 2:45 a.m., Jan. 2, at a location on Meadville Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation. Solomon was jailed pending arraignment.

Joseph Michael Morelli, 54, of Orchard Street, Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Morelli was allegedly found to be intoxicated at 2:02 p.m., Dec. 14, while at the Genesee County Probation Department on Main Street, Batavia, and arrested by Deputy Jonathan Dimming. Morelli was released to a third party on an appearance ticket. 

Adam Joseph Pape, 35, of Morrow Road, Pavilion, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, driving without an interlock device, and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle on a public highway. Pape was stopped at 8:11 p.m., Dec. 30, by Deputy Zachary Hoy and released on an appearance ticket.

Nia Hanevin Spring, 23, of Griffin Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd and grand larceny 4th. Spring was arrested on Dec. 30, processed at the Genesee County Jail, arraigned in Town of Alabama Court, and released under supervision. 

Ronald Charles Inzinna, 54, of Le Roy, is charged with criminal mischief and harassment 2nd. Inzinna is accused of subjecting another person to unwanted physical contact and preventing that person from contacting 9-1-1 during an incident reported at 6 p.m., Dec. 30, at a location on East Main Road, Le Roy.  Inzinna was arraigned in Town of Stafford Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Arthur James Felski, 45, of Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with harassment 2nd. Felski was charged following an investigation into an incident reported at 3:25 p.m., Jan. 1, in Basom. He was arraigned in the Genesee County Centralized Arraignment Court and released on his own recognizance.

Editor’s Note: At the risk of seeming redundant, The Batavian believes that Winter Storm Elliott easily became the biggest story of 2022, and there are many people, groups, businesses, and municipalities that are deserving of the spotlight for their contributions to assist the hundreds stranded in Genesee County during the Christmas weekend. This is another of those stories.

There have been stories of rescue involving fire halls, a community center, hotels, a church, and now, one of the schools that stepped up to help people during Winter Storm Elliott.

As the storm invaded portions of Genesee County on Dec. 23, Elba Volunteer Fire Department member Mandy Esten contacted Elba Central School Superintendent Gretchen Rosales about using the school as a warming shelter.

“As the superintendent of Elba Central, I've firmly stood behind my belief that the school is the center of our small community and that it belongs to all of the people of Elba,” Rosales said to The Batavian Saturday. “If it can be used as a source of shelter and comfort during a treacherous storm, all the better. The systems that a school already has in place are a natural fit for dealing with a crisis; we already provide food, shelter, warmth, and comfort to our students.

“This was an easy decision,” she said. "I reached out to my leadership team, as well as the Board of Education, to inform them that the school would be used as a warming shelter for those who were stranded or in need of a warm place to stay due to loss of power.”

From that moment on, Rosales witnessed a barrage of generosity and leadership from school staff about the clothing closet, a collection of personal hygiene items, and blankets and wheelchairs in the school nurse’s station; from the Elba Betterment Committee which made food for the stranded travelers; and a tech-savvy student who streamed cartoons for children on a screen in the cafeteria.

“The Elba community is incredible, and I'm so thankful for the great relationship we have with the Elba Fire Department. Mandy is a rockstar and coordinated things inside the school,” Rosales said. “My phone was ringing non-stop with offers for help and supplies. Initially, the onset of the storm provided us with a challenge as we were unable to mobilize a big response.  But via phone messages, texts, and picture messages, I was able to help Mandy get the coffee going and to tell her where they could find additional coats and warm clothing.”

Kim Walczak, who is the district’s acting cafeteria manager, arrived the next morning and made breakfast while yet another student shared that the yoga mats in Mrs. Morgan's classroom would make great sleeping mats, Rosales said. 

“Teachers and other staff members, as well as parents, were texting and emailing constantly, asking how to help from afar,” she said. “It was really a collective effort, which is what our school and community is all about.”

City of Batavia Police staff brought more cots and blankets for the community by that Saturday, Christmas eve.  They also dropped off food “from so many businesses that wanted to help out,” she said.   

Rosales estimated that at least 50 travelers were hosted at the school. And as she, and many others, learned, it evolved into more than a place for education.

“A school is not just about the building where the learning happens; they offer comfort and care,” she said. “Even though the storm was a scary experience for so many, I'm glad that Elba Central was able to be a shelter for those who needed it.”

Although this storm has been cited as being worse than the dreaded blizzard of ’77, at least one online poster sees a positive difference.

“Wow, they never did that when I went to school in the 60s and 70s! Glad they are now!” he wrote on the district’s social media page.

Editor’s Note: At the risk of seeming redundant, The Batavian believes that Winter Storm Elliott easily became the biggest story of 2022, and there are many people, groups, businesses, and municipalities that are deserving of the spotlight for their contributions to assist the hundreds stranded in Genesee County during the Christmas weekend. This is another of those stories.

Try to imagine yourself on a trip, excitedly going to visit family for the holidays.

Only you get stuck in a big snowstorm and have to hang out with a bunch of strangers and quite possibly sleep on the floor.

That was no imaginary scenario last weekend for the more than 100 people stranded at Grace Baptist Church. And their response was anything but expected, Pastor Jeff Bartz says.

“Strangers became like friends and family; we genuinely enjoyed each other,” he said Friday. “People were generally overwhelmed by (those who came to help).”

As Dec. 23’s storm became more apparent and dangerous, county officials began to organize warming shelters for stranded motorists. Sheriff Bill Sheron reached out to Grace Baptist in Batavia to see if the Vine Street site could be a shelter. There was no hesitation, Bartz said.

“We were excited just to be able to help,” he said. “We were waiting in the foyer, and people started coming. Once they started … it started flowing.”

His wife Jami added that “We grabbed all of our extra blankets, cereal and milk from home” and then shuffled people into various rooms at the church. They put the call out that they were accepting stranded travelers. And those travelers continued to arrive, easily surpassing 100 by Friday evening, she said.

The couple reflected on a scripture referring to God being a shelter in the storm, and the church was literally transformed into just that. And in quite the storm. By all accounts from area rescue workers, including Jeff who is with the International Guard Reserves, Elliott far surpassed others, including the blizzard of '77. Genesee County took in more than 700 travelers from Dec. 23 to 25.

Although most Grace Baptist visitors had their vehicles in the nearby parking lot — unlike so many others who got stuck in snow — they not only stayed for safety's sake but come Christmas morning, also for a stunning reason, Jeff said.

Travelers asked if he would perform a service that morning, and so he prepared one. Focusing on the first chapter of Luke, he talked about the aspects of God’s love, many of which had been demonstrated for all to see that weekend, Jeff said.

“So we gathered in our sanctuary and sang the timeless, treasured carols we all know and love. We read and reflect on God’s love for us in sending His Son, Jesus, to save us from our sin … and how God shows through the Christmas story that He is mindful of us, mighty over us, and merciful to us,” he said. “We were literally experiencing those truths while we weathered the blizzard in the warm safety of our Christmas storm shelter.

“Immediately after the service, we were informed the travel ban was lifted,” he said. “But some didn’t want to leave. We hugged each other, cried together, exchanged contact information, and stuck around and took pictures together. We didn’t want what many called ‘the best Christmas ever’ to end.”

Yes, after all of the potential anger, frustration, irritation and disappointment that travelers could have reasonably felt, they instead seemed to grasp the moments of true caring for one another, he and Jami said.

“It was a representation of the true meaning of Christmas,” Jami said. “It was one of those unique opportunities to be presented for people to do something. It was Christmas, but life stopped for everybody at Grace Baptist, and they just rallied.”

Community and church members pitched in with homemade meals, Batavia’s Original sent over several pizzas, Salvation Army sent over food, American Red Cross sent cots, county and city officials worked to get supplies, food and water to the shelter, and even the Bartz’s two younger sons, Michael, 16, and 14-year-old Timmy, hung out and played with the kids, and set up coffee and hot chocolate.

Timmy imagined how it would feel to be in their position.

“I thought it would probably stink,” he said.

With holiday movies playing, dozens of strangers mingling, three dogs, a cat, and an albino ball python added to the mix, it was, indeed, a good Christmas for folks such as Nick and Marijana Bankovic, who were traveling from New York City to Canada with their kids Emilija and Jovan when they got stuck in Batavia due to the winter storm

They were some fo the many people who sent notes to thank Grace Baptist for its hospitality. They also wanted to share a snippet of their time at Grace with The Batavian after feeling “like everything that could possibly go wrong was happening,” the couple said.

“The kindness, help and warmth that I have seen from everyone from the stranded travelers, the members of the church, Batavia law enforcement, the residents and business of Batavia and the surrounding community brought tears of joy to my eyes,” they said in an email. “The below-freezing cold weather, the blinding snowstorm, running low on gas, food and drinks, driving five miles per hour, falling into the ditch, slipping and falling down, hurting my back and elbow at the McDonald’s rest stop area on I-90 near Rochester … It took the Batavia community and fellow travelers to show me no matter how many bad things happen there will always be good warm-hearted people who are willing to do what they can to help and make things better.” 

Photos of travelers stranded from Winter Storm Elliott during Christmas 2022 weekend taking refuge at Grace Baptist Church in Batavia; eating, talking, joking, playing and enjoying time with one another. Photos submitted by Jeff and Jami Bartz.

Le Roy rang in the New Year with the community's annual First Night celebration, including a fireworks display.

Photos by Nicholas Serrata.

 

 

A Rochester-based attorney for David Bellavia has filed motions to dismiss and seal portions of a federal lawsuit filed against him and Orleans County alleging a conspiracy to deny Bellavia's ex-wife her constitutional rights.

Attorney Donald W. O'Brien's court filings assert that the lawsuit is deficient in proving a conspiracy and was filed in part to make disparaging remarks about Bellavia a matter of public record.

The suit was filed on Nov. 4 on behalf of Deanna Bellavia (known professionally as Deanna King) by attorney Nathan McMurray.  Plaintiffs in the suit include David Bellavia, Orleans County, the Orleans County Sheriff's Office, the Orleans County District Attorney's Office, Investigator Corey Black, and a Sheriff's Office employee listed as "John Doe." 

The suit alleges that Bellavia and Black conspired to arrest King without probable cause and charge her with harassment for contacting Bellavia during their divorce proceedings in 2021.

Bellavia, a former Batavia resident who is originally from Orleans County and has resided there in recent years, received the Medal of Honor in 2019 for his actions during the Battle of Fallujah during the Iraq War.

King, who lives in Batavia, is a radio and TV broadcaster in Rochester.

McMurray has previously sought to represent Genesee County and the surrounding area in Congress. Earlier this year, McMurray filed a suit on behalf of former state senator George Maziarz against Batavia Downs that was subsequently dropped.

The federal lawsuit alleges government officials, acting under the color of law, conspired with Bellavia to have King arrested in order to discredit her during divorce proceedings.  The arrest, according to the suit, violated her rights to be free of unreasonable search and seizure and equal protection under the law.

O'Brien does not dispute that Bellavia filed a complaint against King alleging violations of a court agreement that limited contact between the parties but states that such contacts with law enforcement do not constitute a conspiracy and cites specific case law to support his assertion.

"Assuming these allegations are true, there is nothing sinister in Mr. Bellavia furnishing evidence to the Municipal Defendants upon which they based the harassment charges that resulted in Plaintiff's Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal (ACD)," the motion states. "Mr. Bellavia does not deny that he was the complainant in the underlying criminal case (emphasis retained). However, 'it has long been held that a private party does not become a willful participant by merely invoking the assistance of the police.' DeSantis v. Town of Cheektowaga, 2020 "

In his motions, O'Brien states that McMurray, in drafting the complaint filed in Federal Court, failed to identify a specific section of the United States Code on which King's claim of conspiracy was based.

He also asserts that the plaintiff's claims of a conspiracy are "based on conclusory assertions unsupported by any factual details tending to show, or even raise an inference of, an agreement to deprive Plaintiff of her constitutional rights. Rather, the conspiracy claim against Mr. Bellavia consists entirely of vague and general allegations of a conspiracy and relies upon mere connection and speculation."

To prove a conspiracy, O'Brien asserts, the plaintiff must provide details of a time and place when the conspirators reached an agreement to deny the plaintiff of her rights.  The suit, he states, fails to present such evidence. 

O'Brien is asking the court to strike and seal several paragraphs in the lawsuit as "scandalous and prejudicial" and that the claims in those paragraphs, even if there was any merit to the conspiracy claim, have no relevance to the case.

"Paragraphs 11 through 17 and 19 through 28, however, have no bearing on the single claim against Mr. Bellavia in the Complaint," O'Brien states. "Rather, these highly prejudicial allegations appear to have been included to obtain leverage in this action and to compensate for the absence of any factual allegations to support her conspiracy claims. The truth or falsity of these challenged allegations is immaterial to Plaintiff's claim against Mr. Bellavia. If Plaintiff believes that her claim is somehow enhanced by allegations that these two parties endured a contentious divorce, then Paragraph 18 adequately makes that assertion. The remaining seventeen paragraphs, however, are irrelevant and prejudicial and should be stricken."

A footnote in the motion notes that "Mr. Bellavia is not seeking dismissal of the Plaintiff's third claim for malicious prosecution since it is not directed at him. It should be noted, however, that the Plaintiff's agreement to an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal means that she cannot establish that the underlying prosecution was terminated in her favor, as she is required to do."

When King's case was dismissed in accordance with her plea agreement in the Town of Ridgeway, the court record was sealed, and the court clerk in Ridgeway has denied there even is a criminal case on file in that court.

O'Brien also asserts that a number of claims made against Bellavia in the lawsuit violate the divorce decree's confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses. 

The divorce was final on Dec. 28, 2021.

"Plaintiff and her counsel were well aware of the restrictions placed on their ability to engage in such unrestrained and harmful public disclosures," O'Brien states.

The Batavian attempted to contact McMurray today for comment and did not get a response. He did not respond when we sought comment for a prior story on the lawsuit.  It should be noted that McMurray has previously indicated he has blocked communication from The Batavian's publisher (see related item).

None of the other defendants in the case have filed responses yet. The federal docket (Pacer account required) indicates all defendants were served prior to Dec. 9.

The filing of the lawsuit against Bellavia and the other defendants coincided with the release of Bellavia's new book, "Remember the Ramrods: An Army Brotherhood in War and Peace."

On Dec. 28, Federal Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy granted Bellavia's "motion for leave to file under seal," which allows O'Brien to file supporting documents from the divorce proceedings for the court's review while keeping the documents sealed. 

McMurray has until Jan. 13 to file a response to the motion to dismiss. A hearing has been scheduled in Federal Court on Jan. 24.

The NYS Thruway Authority has taken exception to reporting by The Batavian that the agency had no plan on Dec. 23 when it closed the portion of the I-90 going through Genesee County to route motorists away from the affected storm area.

In a Dec. 29 story about the response of the Oakfield and Alabama fire departments to rescue travelers, The Batavian reported:

The dangers of the storm were exacerbated by a Thruway Authority that shut down the I-90 with no plan to send travelers on safe routes and with Google and Apple map technology ill-equipped to warn drivers of dangerous weather conditions and send them on routes that would take them around the hazardous roads. 

In another story published that same day, we reported:

As hundreds of travelers learned on Friday, their trip on the Thruway would get abruptly cut off when a travel ban was issued and a large portion of the Thruway closed.

Jessica Mazurowski, public information officer for the Thruway cited both of these stories in an email to The Batavian on Thursday, saying she "wanted to make a few points to you about the storm."

Mazurowski wrote:

It’s unclear who is making this statement -- the paper or the County Manager. However, on Friday, when these people were traveling, and the Thruway closed, no one should’ve been traveling. Travel bans were already in effect in Erie and Genesee Counties, as well as surrounding areas. We close or issue travel bans in direct coordination with state and local entities to ensure everyone is on the same page.

All major media outlets across New York were reporting on this storm days in advance. Erie County and Genesee County both issued travel advisories on Thursday, Dec. 22 and upgraded them to travel bans on Friday, Dec. 23. The Thruway Authority announced the commercial vehicle ban on Thursday, Dec. 22 and began messaging on digital highway signs into Pennsylvania, to the Massachusetts state line and down to New York City. Messaging was also on social media, our website, and our mobile app, not just on the commercial vehicle ban but about the severity of the storm and urging motorists not to drive.   When the full vehicle ban was announced on I-90 from exit 46 to the PA state line, the messaging was on digital highway signs statewide and into PA, on social media and our website, and mobile app.

The Batavian's reporting is based on statements from multiple sources, not just County Manager Matt Landers, that the vast majority of people being rescued or seeking shelter in the homes of residents or warming shelters were from out of state and were forced off the Thruway in Genesee County with no idea of the local travel ban, the looming storm, its location, or the hazardous conditions a storm of this magnitude might manifest.

Our sources include other government officials, volunteer firefighters, tow-truck operators, residents who provided shelter, and some of the motorists themselves.

After receiving her email, The Batavian sent multiple questions to Mazurowski and received no response.

We wanted to know, If the Thruway Authority had prior knowledge of the dangers of the storm, why did it take so long to institute a travel ban?  Were travelers provided enough time to exit the Thruway before reaching the hazard zone?

Why was there no signage or traffic control at the Thruway exits to ensure travelers did not head north of the Thruway once they were in Genesee County?  Or was there signage we don't know about, and travelers just ignored it?

Our story stated the TA had no plan to deal with the unsafe conditions for travelers before dumping motorists off the I-90 onto rural roads.  We wrote to her, "Nothing in your response indicates the TA did, in fact, did have a plan in place to ensure the safety of travelers once they exited the Thruway." 

We noted to Mazurowski that it is unrealistic to expect all travelers to be aware of weather conditions, travel bans, or have familiarity with blizzards and lake effect snow (several sources told The Batavian, in fact, that many travelers had never encountered conditions such as they saw in Oakfield and Alabama on Friday and Saturday).

Motorists and passengers may not have tuned into terrestrial radio or have downloaded the appropriate apps to receive alerts. 

We asked, "Is it reasonable for the TA to assume that ALL travelers were aware of the hazards ahead?  Shouldn't it be foreseeable by the TA that some percentage of travelers will be unaware and unprepared, or engage in a blind unwillingness to listen to good advice?  Shouldn't the TA take precautions to help protect people from their own lack of knowledge and experience?"

We concluded, "So the question remains, what was the TA's plan to route travelers off the i-90 to safe locations?"

We followed up with Mazurowski on Friday and received a response that she was out of the office and to direct any questions to the general email address for the public information office.  We did. And still did not receive answers to these questions.

Ever since the Christmas weekend blizzard, there have been stories of rescues, heroism, movie-making camaraderie, generosity and trust amongst strangers.

For Susan Zeliff — who with husband Peter Jr. opened up a warming shelter during the three-day storm — there was another story in her mind that certainly captured the holiday spirit.

“I feel a lot of the thought I had was, it has a lot of similarities to the Mary and Joseph story,” Zeliff said Friday. “Here are these people seeking refuge, to find a place to sleep.That scenario crossed my mind a lot.”

Mary and husband Joseph, arguably one of the most well-known stories in the Bible (first chapter of Matthew), could not find shelter on their journey, and ended up finding a manger for rest. Hundreds of strangers traveling to see family and friends found themselves on a similar journey of being in need of warmth, comfort and a place to rest their heads.

Dozens of those travelers ended up at the “GOOSE,” a community center in the heart of Oakfield. As last Friday (Dec. 23) wore on, members of Oakfield Fire Hall had been besieged by motorists stuck in the blizzard, and Ed Spence, the department’s chaplain, asked if there was anything he could do to help. Someone suggested using The GOOSE as a warming shelter.

Spence contacted Peter Friday, and his reply was, “give me five minutes.” They were soon on their way to transforming the Main Street center into a shelter by moving tables and bringing in food and drinks.

“We were getting ready for the influx of what we thought was about to happen,” Spence said. “Pete and I were meeting them at the door, welcoming them. They came, and they just kept coming.”

When the flow of visitors stopped, there were 60 people and a dog at the site, Susan Zeliff said. She credits her husband for taking “a good chunk of the responsibility” for these strangers in need of a safe place to stay, and Spence, plus a community ready to assist with homemade and packaged foods, pillows, blankets, and coloring books for the children.

Two residents graciously — and deliciously — baked bread, with one woman making 12 loaves and the other one adding pasta to her bread. The aroma made Zeliff want to take it home, she joked; it was that fragrantly mouth-watering.

“The whole community kind of rallied together,” she said. “We did soup for lunch, and thankfully we had gotten a shipment of milk so there was cereal for breakfast. I was not too worried since we had the food pantry. And people were reaching out to us.”

A common thread amongst the travelers, per others who have spoken about their experiences, was also true at the GOOSE, Susan said: most people were of international descent, including India, Japan and China, and many who did not speak English. Spence added that there was usually one person per family group that served as interpreter, and communication was not a big problem.

Some Muslims took solace in the back of a room to pray, and there was a lot of gratitude throughout the three-day ordeal, he said.

People wiled away the time charging their phones, talking, checking the weather and getting in touch with those that were waiting for them on the other end of their trip. Despite the circumstances and odds for anger and frustration to rule the day, it wasn’t like that at all, Spence said.

“It was wonderful, they were smiling, and they were extremely polite,” he said. “I asked people to stand up and introduce themselves. There was a lot of laughing and joking, believe it or not.”

As a retired firefighter of 14 years, he has seen a lot of weather events, with this now being “the worst I’ve ever seen.” As with the Zeliffs, he was impressed with the response of the community and volunteer responders.

“I can’t say enough about the fire departments in Oakfield and Alabama (and throughout Genesee County),” he said. “And I can’t say enough about the emergency manager Tim Yaeger. He did a fantastic job.”

Spence’s own Friday evening got off to a rocky start. He picked up his wife Wendy from her job at United Memorial Medical Center, and got her to her mother’s house in Oakfield; however, he found it tough going from there. Driving with his head out the window, he drove “two miles an hour to get not even a mile,” he said, and that took 40 minutes. At one point, his truck got stuck in the snow and he needed to be pulled out.

Most of his holiday weekend was spent as a liaison between the 60 travelers and Oakfield fire personnel. When some people tried to leave in their vehicles, he told them point blank: if you go out there, you’re going to die. Blunt, yes, but he felt those people needed a simple truth.

While it may seem as though the stress and inconvenience would have wrenched anyone’s nerves, people stepped up to the circumstances, he said.

“People made the best out of a bad situation, people were phenomenal,” he said. “It was a really positive event.”

Likewise, Susan believes the weekend was a good lesson in the universal language of kindness.

“Just for people to take care of people,  it doesn't matter. Your culture doesn't matter. Your skin type doesn't matter. Even your language,” she said. “They couldn't understand us, we didn't understand them, but we made it work.”

Photo of an online post from The GOOSE Community Center explaining that "this is what the lunch looks like for about 50 people hanging at The GOOSE in the blizzard." The canned goods were available from the center's food pantry.  

Press release:

As we say goodbye to 2022, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) would like to wish you all a healthy and Happy New Year. This was a full year for the Health Departments. Not only were staff involved in ongoing COVID-19 activities, Monkeypox (Mpox) and polio were added to the list of emerging issues. Staff were determined to keep working towards Public Health Accreditation (expected in 2023) and also kept many public services and operations running smoothly to help improve the health and well-being of residents.

The Community Health Services staff have been working diligently, including remaining up-to-date on the evolution of the COVID-19 vaccination guidelines. Throughout 2022, immunization clinics (including COVID-19 and traditional), as well as outreach to migrant and seasonal farmworkers, resulted in 3,212 vaccinations being administered. This includes 42 individuals who received post-exposure rabies treatment after being exposed to a confirmed or suspected rabid animal. Not including COVID-19, 472 communicable disease investigations were conducted. During the growing season, staff provided various healthcare services to 1,388 seasonal and migrant farmworkers on location to reduce barriers to receiving care.

Public Health Emergency Preparedness started in 2022, responding to a tidal wave of COVID-19 cases from the omicron variant.  However, due to the lower severity of this variant combined with increased immunity within the community, efforts to contain this variant began to lessen, and public health emergency preparedness eventually began focusing on risks associated with new infectious threats, which ranged from avian influenza and Ebola to Mpox and polio. Experience from COVID-19 response led to dramatic changes for Emergency Preparedness, including revision of major preparedness plans, re-organization of the medical reserve corps and revision of an emergency preparedness mobile app.  

Environmental Health staff continue to regulate permitted facilities throughout Genesee and Orleans Counties through compliance with the New York State (NYS) Sanitary Code. They help assure the community is safe from foodborne illnesses by conducting inspections of food service establishments. Staff also routinely inspect septic systems, monitor Public Water Supplies, enforce the NYS Clean Indoor Air Act, and offer free rabies clinics. The Lead Program continues to promote education and outreach to enhance lead poisoning prevention and promote testing of children for lead exposure. GO Health was awarded a second grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to expand an existing home-repair program to address lead hazards and prevent childhood lead poisoning throughout the entire Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming (GLOW) region.

Staff within our Children’s Programs work with families of our youngest children, providing case management, education, support and referrals.  Some of the services children may need that are provided through this program are speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and special education teacher services. Staff works closely with families to make sure children receive the services they need.   

The Public Health Education team spent the majority of the year developing the 2022-2024 Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming (GOW) Counties Community Health Assessment (CHA)/Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) and in partnership with local hospital systems, Community Services Plan (CSP). The team was also responsible for implementing the ‘Strengthening Capacity in Suicide, Overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) Prevention for Local Health Departments’ technical assistance grant. This funding improved the internal capacity of GO Health to address the intersection of suicide, overdose and ACEs and brought together community partners for a GOW Trauma & Resiliency Conference.

Weights & Measures (W&M) completed 470 inspections accounting for over 1,190 devices within the two counties. These tests involved pumping more than 26,000 gallons of fuel and using more than 5.9 million pounds of test weight, ensuring all commercial weighing and measuring devices meet NYS standards. The department handled 13 complaint investigations, confirmed 591 package weights & 300 item prices, and collected 132 fuel samples confirming fuel sold within both counties met a variety of parameters. Since transitioning to a department of one in 2020, W&M has shown savings in excess of $150,000.

“It is our extreme pleasure to serve the residents of Genesee and Orleans Counties,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for GO Health. “We thank the Genesee and Orleans County Legislatures, the Board of Health, our community partners and other volunteers for their support and collaboration. We look forward to another productive year of improving the health and well-being of our community and wish everyone a safe, healthy, and happy New Year.”

For more information about GO Health programs, visit www.GOHealthNY.org.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum will be closed from Tuesday, Jan. 3, through Saturday, Jan. 21.

The staff and volunteers of the museum will be working on getting the museum ready for a brand new year in 2023 full of new exhibits, displays, programs and special events.

The museum will resume its regular operating hours of Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24. 

For more information or questions, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C, I-Batavia) is thanking emergency responders for their actions after Western New York’s brutal holiday snowstorm. Emergency employees are continuing to assist citizens who have been snowed into their homes and vehicles during this historic blizzard. The duties of our first responders are extremely important this time of year, especially the work of our highway crews, snow removal personnel and state and municipal snow plow operators. 

“I would like to thank all of our incredible emergency employees and utility workers for their efforts to protect those in our area,” said Hawley. “I hope all of those in my district was safe at home during the holiday weekend blizzards. We know how difficult this weather can be in our area, but this is an important reminder that we have individuals who will be outside in these conditions, ready to assist us. Thank you to our first responders for delivering blankets, pillows, water and other necessities to those in need. They are true heroes to our region, especially during Western New York’s brutal winter months.”