Announcements

Anne Marie Starowitz, coordinator of the Holland Land Office Museum History Heroes Summer Program, and HLOM Director Ryan Duffy.

Press release and submitted photo:

The theme for the 2017 History Heroes Summer Program at the Holland Land Office Museum is "Carnival Days." This year the children will work together to create a Penny Carnival and donate the money to a charity.

The program ends with the carnival and a multimedia production showcasing our local history with the children talking about historical places in Batavia. Each day of the summer program is packed with exciting and educational activities, field trips, games, crafts, and more!

The program begins on Tuesday, July 18^th and runs for eight weekdays, ending on Friday, July 28th.

The cost for the program is $25 a day for nonmembers and $20 a day for museum members. The program is open to children ages 7-12.

Please call the museum at 343-4727 for more information and to save a place for your child. Deadline to register is Saturday, July 1.

The Stafford Firemen's second annual Father's Day Retro Jam & Musicians' Reunion will be held on Sunday, June 18, behind the Stafford Fire Department.

It is located at 6153 Main Road (Route 5).

BBQ starts at 11 and live music starts at 1 p.m. and lasts until 7 o'clock.

There will be hots, burgers and fries available along with soda pop and water.

BYO lawn chair and/or cooler.

Bands scheduled to appear include:

• SkyCats
• Ghost Riders
• TONK! Bros.
• Ryan & Scott
• Bake & The Boys
• Front Porch Pickers
• KW Does Country
• plus Friends & Guests!

Good fans, good families, good food, good music, good friends, good times!

Press release:

As part of National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month, VA Western NY Healthcare System will host its second annual awareness event beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 15, at the Batavia VA Medical Center's Building #4 Auditorium.

The complex is located at 222 Richmond Ave. in the City of Batavia.

"Take a Knee" on PTSD is open all and is intended to increase awareness of the health issues surrounding PTSD and potential treatment options. The program ends at 2 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Attending and sharing their experiences will be:

• Psychology intern and Marine Corps veteran Jessica Goodall, author of "Shade it Black: Death and After in Iraq," (written with John Hearn);
• Nicholas Stefanovic, Rochester Treatment Center and Marine Corps veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF);
• Earl Granville, former Pennsylvania Army National Guardsman and veteran of Operation Joint Forge -- Bosnia, OIF and OEF.

For more information, call Amberley Roberts, LMSW, or the PTSD Program, 1-585-297-1200.

Public Health Column from the Genesee County Health Department:

Do you know that mammals, including humans, can contract rabies? Bats, raccoons, foxes and skunks are assumed to be infected with this deadly virus and must be avoided. In any case with animals, it is better to love your own and leave others alone!

What is rabies? How is it transmitted? What are Signs & Symptoms?

Rabies is a virus that attacks the nervous system of mammals, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. There are more than 4,000 different species of mammals, all of which are vertebrates (they have a backbone or spine), are endothermic (“warm-blooded”), have hair on their bodies, and produce milk to feed their babies.

Transmission of the rabies virus usually begins when the saliva of an infected host is passed to an uninfected mammal. The most common way rabies is transmitted is through the bite and virus-containing saliva of an infected host. Other routes include contamination of mucous membranes (i.e., eyes, nose, mouth), aerosol transmission, and organ transplantations.

The first symptoms of rabies may be very similar to those of the flu including general weakness or discomfort, fever or headache. These symptoms may last for days. There may also be discomfort or a prickling or itching sensation at the bite site, progressing within days to symptoms of cerebral (brain) dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, agitation.

As the disease progresses, the person may experience delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations and insomnia. Common signs of rabies in animals are; nocturnal (night) animals active during daylight, foaming of the mouth, overly aggressive, or uncoordinated. The acute period of disease typically ends after 2 to 10 days.  Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal, and treatment is typically supportive.

What to do if potentially exposed to rabies?

“If you are bitten, or if infectious material (such as saliva) from a wild or stray animal gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or a cut, wash the area with soap/water and call your doctor or local County Health Department immediately. Please note that bats have very tiny, razor-sharp teeth so you may not feel or see a bite mark,” said Sarah Balduf, director of Environmental Health for Genesee & Orleans Counties.

IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to safely capture the suspect animal if it has or may have been in contact with people, pets or livestock so it can be tested for rabies. Capturing the suspect animal for testing is important because unnecessary medical treatment to people and confinement of pets or livestock may be avoidable.

“To diagnosis the rabies virus in animals testing the tissue of the brain is needed. Keep this in mind when capturing the animal because damage to the head/brain can cause it to be untestable. If treatment is recommended, it consists of a series of four shots, over a period of 14 days. An additional fifth dose of rabies vaccine is given on day 28 to immunocompromised patients (less capable of battling infections),” Balduf said.

*A link to a video on how to safely capture a bat is located below.

How do you to prevent rabies?

Rabies is 100-percent preventable! Here are some ways to protect your families and animals.

·      Don't feed, touch or adopt wild animals, stray dogs or cats, including the babies.

·      Be sure your pet dogs, cats and ferrets as well as horses and valuable livestock animals are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations. Vaccination protects pets if they are exposed to rabid animals. Pets too young to be vaccinated (under 3 months old) should be kept indoors and allowed outside only under direct observation.  Keep family pets indoors at night. Do not leave them outside unattended or let them roam free.

·      Do not attract wild animals to your home or yard. Keep your property free of stored bird seed or other foods that may attract wild animals. Feed pets indoors.  Tightly cap or put away garbage cans. Board up any openings to your attic, basement, porch or garage. Cap your chimney with screens. Bats can get in spaces as small as the width of a pencil.

·      If nuisance wild animals are living in parts of your home, consult with a nuisance wildlife control expert about having them removed. You can find wildlife control experts, who work on a fee-for-service basis, in your telephone directory under pest control.

·      Teach children not to touch any animal they do not know and to tell an adult immediately if they are bitten by any animal.

·      If a wild animal is on your property, let it wander away. Bring children and pets indoors and alert neighbors who are outside. You may contact a nuisance wildlife control expert who will remove the animal for a fee.

Upcoming Dog, Cat and Ferret Anti-Rabies Vaccination Clinics:

Clinics are free to county residents -- charges may apply for out of county residents.

Donations are appreciated -- for complete details visit the county health department’s website.

Genesee County Clinics are held on Thursdays from 4 - 7 p.m.:

• Aug. 17^th, Genesee County Fairgrounds, 5031 E. Main St., Batavia
• Sept. 21^st, Pembroke Highway Department, 1145 Main Road (Route 5), Pembroke
• Oct. 19^th, Le Roy Village Highway Garage, 58 N. Main St., Le Roy

For more information on rabies, how to catch a bat safely, and much more visit, https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/rabies/

For information about Health Department services contact,

• Genesee County Health Department at: 585-344-2580, ext. 5555, or visit its website at www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/health/index.html.

Press release:

In celebration of the NYSP 100 Year Centennial, Troop A in Batavia we will be holding an Open House for the public from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 10.

The location is Troop A Headquarters, SP Batavia, at 4525 W. Saile Drive, Town of Batavia.

Troop A Commander, Major Steven Nigrelli, said “As one of the original four Troops (A,D,G,K), this celebration is extra special here in Western New York and our 100-year history is source of great pride and tradition.

"Our Open House Committee have put together a day full of activities and demonstrations that will surely entertain and educate you and your families about our proud history.”

This is a family-oriented event with K-9 demonstrations, Aviation and Special Operations Response Team shows at starting at 2 p.m. Free refreshments will be provided, including hotdogs from Connors from 1 – 2 p.m.

Throughout the day we will have:

• Historical Display
• Robot Demonstrations
• Defensive Tactics Demonstrations
• Interactive DWI goggles with pedal cars
• NYSP Horse Mounted Detail
• Classic State Police vehicles
• Current NYSP patrol vehicles
• NYSP Motorcycles Unit and motorcycle safety education
• Firearms Safety Display, and much more!

Press release:

Members of the Batavia Rotary Club are just about ready for the Club’s annual Fly-In Breakfast. It's at the Genesee County Airport, 4701 Saile Drive, Batavia, Sunday, June 18, from 7 a.m. to noon.

Co-Chair Edmund Leising said that the event has become a Father’s Day tradition for many local families. Fly-In Breakfast patrons enjoy a home-cooked breakfast and catch a rare glimpse of aircraft up-close. 

The event is expected to attract more than 1,500 guests from across Western New York, as well as dozens of pilots of small aircraft from across the state and beyond.

Residents throughout Western New York are invited to enjoy breakfast, meet the pilots, and view their aircraft. If the morning is clear, more than 50 pilots are expected to fly their airplanes in.

The Fly-In Breakfast menu will feature sausage, eggs and omelets, pancakes, and beverages. Adult tickets are $8. Tickets for children ages 4 through 12 are $5. Children under the age of 4 are admitted free. Tickets for the event may be obtained from any member of the Batavia Rotary Club or at the door.

Saile Drive is located just north of the City of Batavia and the Batavia exit of the New York State Thruway, off Route 98.

Press release:

Would you like to live with the next Matt Carpenter, Ryan Howard or Chase Utley? 

The Batavia Muckdogs are again seeking local families to assist in housing players during the 2017 baseball season.

Anyone can help provide lodging for this year's Muckdogs by either providing space or renting a room, apartment, or home. While many host families come back year after year, the team is always looking to add to their list of availabilities for the players.   

Host Families play a crucial role in helping young players feel comfortable in a new environment. Many who have hosted players in the past have had incredibly wonderful experiences. However, with players coming and going throughout the season, we have constant needs as far as housing.

The 2017 season runs from June 17 until Sept. 5 and players typically range from 18-23 years of age. Because of the players' schedule, they typically spend about 40 nights in their Host Family home. Host families are not required to provide meals or transportation for players. 

Anyone in need of more information on becoming a Host Family is invited to contact the Muckdogs’ office at (585) 343-5454 or tsick@muckdogs.com. You can also call our housing coordinator Shirley Fanara directly at (585) 356-3411.

The Village of Bergen will be holding its 28th annual Bergen Park Festival on Saturday, June 10th, at Bergen Park. It's located at 15 Church St.

• Car show, vendors, and family fun starts -- 11 a.m.
• Parade down Lake Avenue -- noon
• Bergen’s Got Talent -- 3 p.m.
• Chicken Barbecue -- 4 p.m.
• Live Music -- 4  to 10 p.m.
• Fireworks at 10 p.m.

The Holland Land Office is proud to present the Rochester area historian Rose O'Keefe. At noon on Saturday, June 24, she will be speaking on the life and times of Frederick Douglass and his family while living in Rochester.

This is a free event and the public is invited.

O'Keefe is a well-known authority on many of Rochester's more famous citizen and is responsible for many of the tours of Mt. Hope Cemetery in the city.

Frederick Douglass — famed author, orator and former slave — spent 25 years with his family in Rochester, beginning in 1848. Despite living through one of our nation’s most bitter and terrifying times, Frederick and his wife, Anna, raised five children in a loving home with flower, fruit and vegetable gardens.

While Frederick traveled widely, fighting for the freedom and rights of his brethren, Anna cared for their home and their family and extended circle. Their house was open to fugitives on the Underground Railroad, visiting abolitionists and houseguests who stayed for weeks, months and years at a time.

Local author O’Keefe weaves together the story of the Douglass’ experience in Rochester and the indelible mark they left on the Flower City.

Those interested can RSVP if they wish by calling the museum at 585-343-4727, emailing at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com, or by coming to the museum at 131 W. Main St., Batavia.

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them."

-- Frederick Douglass

Press release:

Mothertime Marketplace, a semi-annual consignment event in the Western New York area for the past 12 years, is bringing their brand-new venture, S.H.E. Boutique, to Batavia next week.

For the first time ever, Mothertime Marketplace is holding a pop-up consignment sale for all the ladies in this area. S.H.E. Boutique will be held at the Dibble Family Center from 5 to 9 p.m. on Monday, June 5, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 6.

A cash bar will be available on June 5 only (Monday night, 5-9 p.m.) for those 21 years or older.

The Dibble Family Center is located at 2120 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.

Organizers highly encourage you to make this a fun ladies-only event with your girlfriends!

A 50-percent off sale will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday.

The sale will feature like new, brand-name women’s clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry, accessories, athletic wear and sports gear.

Shoppers can expect to find stylish items priced 50 to 75 percent below retail prices. The best part is that everything is organized by category and size, just like a high-end boutique shop.

Consignors at the sale can earn up to 60 percent of their sales. Other options to sell are available including a buy-out option on June 5.

Jennifer Ford Berry, one of the coordinators and also a professional organizer, says “this is the perfect reason for women to go through their closets and clear out anything they no longer love or feel good in.”

S.H.E. Boutique is also the perfect opportunity to update your wardrobe for much less then you would pay at the mall.

Admission is free for women. There will be promotional items and coupons from local businesses.

All unsold items, not picked up by consignors will be donated to My Sister’s Closet in Batavia.

For more information or to register to be a consignor please visit online at www.mothertimemarketplace.com or call 585-219-4266.

Very limited consignment spots available. So if you know you have great stuff to sell, grab your spot today. This is a great excuse to clean out your closet! Like-new, wrinkle-free, in-style items only! Items should be no more then 5 years old unless true vintage. All items will go through a check-in process on June 5th.

PLEASE NOTE: All bathrooms and dressing rooms in the building will be for LADIES ONLY.

Press release from Dave Olsen, GCLP chairman:

The Genesee County Libertarian Party will hold its 2017 convention on Monday June 5, beginning 6:30 p.m. at T.F. Brown's Restaurant in Batavia.

Organizers expect to introduce three candidates for the Batavia City Council At Large positions.

Each will have a few remarks to make, along with Dr. Mark Glogowski, LPNY State chairman, Larry Sharpe, LP candidate for NY Governor next year, and possibly Austin Petersen, 2016 Presidential contender via video chat.

The public is cordially invited to attend and ask questions.

T.F. Brown's is located at 214 E. Main St. in Downtown Batavia.

File photo from 2016.

Press release:

Members of the Batavia City firefighters from IAFF Local 896 will fan out across the streets of Downtown Batavia with boots in hand for this year's donation drive on Friday, June 2^nd.

Batavia’s Fill the Boot drive is organized by firefighter Chris Morasco. Proceeds benefit the Muscular Dystophy Association.

“In 2016, we set out to break the $10,000 mark," Morasco said. "Our members, with the help of our generous community were successful and able to raise $10,574.74 for the MDA! Look for us Friday!”

From 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., city firefighters will be at the intersection of Main Street (Route 5) and Court Street, and also at Ellicott Street (Route 63) and Court Street collecting donations for MDA.

Press release:

This a reminder to all Village of Elba residents who have received easement notices for the new water project:

If you have received notice of a temporary easement for your property and have not signed and returned it yet, or if you have received notice of a permanent easement for your property that needs to be signed, notarized and returned, please plan to attend a meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31, at the Town of Elba conference room at the town office on Maple Avenue.

The project engineer, Jason Foote from Clark Patterson, will be there to answer any questions. If you are unable to attend the meeting, you may call Jason at 402-7505.

Barry Flansburg, Elba's tax assessor, will also be in attendance for those who need to have their paperwork notarized. Original easements to be signed will be available Monday - Friday between 8 and 10 a.m. in Barry's office on Maple Avenue, Elba.

This is an important part of the process that needs to be completed in order for the Village of Elba to move forward in replacing the old water lines.