Press release:

The 31st annual Health and Humanitarian Award of Genesee County will be presented to John C. Dwyer on Friday, Dec. 4, at an awards luncheon at Terry Hills Restaurant.

The award presented by The Jerome Foundation and United Memorial Medical Center Foundation recognizes volunteer men and women of Genesee County who have helped promote emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of the area’s residents. Nominations reflected “ordinary people who reach far beyond themselves to the lives of those in need, bringing hope, care, and friendship, and helping build a stronger, healthier community.”

In naming John Dwyer for this year’s award, the Foundations will recognize 60 years of his volunteer efforts and leadership to more than 30 community organizations involved with health care, job creation, education, and humanitarian needs of Genesee County.

Mr. Dwyer has given his time and talent to Genesee County Water Resources Agency, Genesee County Industrial Development Agency, Children’s Home Foundation, Boy Scouts of America, Batavia Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce, and other civic organizations.

Improvement of educational resources in the Genesee County area has been of special interest to Mr. Dwyer. He has served in leadership roles at Genesee Community College, Notre Dame High School, and St. Joseph School.

Health care has also been a priority. Mr. Dwyer served as president of the former St. Jerome Hospital Foundation, and chaired various fundraising campaigns with the goal of improving healthcare in Genesee County.

In one of several letters nominating Mr. Dwyer, Mary Pat Hancock, the former chair of the Genesee County Legislature, said “John’s documented activities and his continued involvement in our community speak for themselves, but it is love for Genesee County, his pride in Western New York, and his positive vision for the future that have given strength and focus to his efforts, and helped insure a positive outcome.”

Marie Call, a friend and colleague, also remarked on Mr. Dwyer’s achievements, saying “John has demonstrated his passion for, and commitment to, a wide variety of community organizations that have had an impact on thousands of people from school children to senior citizens.”

The Health and Humanitarian Award luncheon is open to the public. Reservations can be made by contacting United Memorial Medical Center Foundation at 344-5300. Seating will be limited so early reservations are encouraged.

A statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

“As a veteran, I am appalled by Gov. Cuomo’s recent veto of the Veterans Buyback bill. This legislation would have allowed honorably discharged veterans to purchase up to three years of their service from New York State to count toward their public retirement system benefits. More importantly, veterans who have served in conflicts such as Bosnia, Afghanistan and Somalia, are not given the option for a service credit and this bill would have addressed such a concern.

“I am deeply troubled that Gov. Cuomo supports taxpayer-funded college tuition for illegal immigrants but refuses to sign this legislation as a token of gratitude for those that have honorably defended our freedom. The legislature overwhelmingly passed this measure for the second straight year and Gov. Cuomo blatantly ignored the pulse of the people. Furthermore, he again vetoed the bill days before Veterans Day (Nov. 11), adding insult to injury and further alienating our needy veterans. This act illustrates the governor’s myopic view of the public’s needs and I plan to push this legislation when we head back into session in January.”

Photos provided by our news partner, WBTA.

Press release from UR Medicine:

Patients in Genesee and surrounding counties can now access a full range of cancer treatment services in one location at Wilmot Cancer Institute Batavia.

The office at 262 Bank St. is the former Batavia Radiation Oncology, which joined UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute in 2014. With renovated and expanded space, the office features larger clinical examination rooms, and it has added medical oncology, hematology, and an infusion center.

Kevin J. Mudd, M.D., who has been Batavia’s radiation oncologist for more than 14 years, continues to see patients at Wilmot Cancer Institute Batavia. He is joined by Nayana Kamath, M.D., of Interlakes Oncology and Hematology, who provides the medical oncology and hematology services at the office.

“It’s exciting to continue providing high-quality, comprehensive cancer care here in this community and to see our services growing with our integration with URMC and Wilmot Cancer Institute,” Mudd said.

Services for patients who need medical oncology, hematology and chemotherapy/infusion began in July. The office’s new infusion center was designed with patient comfort in mind.

“Our new infusion center is bright and open,” Kamath said. “While that might not sound significant, it can make a real difference for patients who need to be here for three or four hours at a time. ”

As part of Wilmot Cancer Institute, the Batavia office provides access to clinical trials, which are available for a variety of cancers at different stages and help lead to the next generation of therapies, and to advanced diagnostic testing for certain cancers, which helps physicians to tailor treatments more precisely to a patient’s needs.

“Cancer care is more complex than it has ever been before, and it requires a coordinated team with expertise in many disciplines to identify the best course of treatment for each individual patient,” said Jonathan W. Friedberg, M.D., M.M.Sc., director of Wilmot Cancer Institute. “Our office here in Batavia brings Wilmot Cancer Institute’s precision medicine approach closer to home for patients and families who might otherwise have to travel an hour or more for care.” 

Press release:

The Board of Directors of the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation (GGLDC) passed a budget for Fiscal Year 2016 at its board meeting today with anticipated cash outflows of $2.4 million. Funding will be realized primarily through grant revenue (restricted to the project for which the funding was awarded), rents and loan repayments. 

Major sources of revenue includes a $750,000 grant from the New York State Department of Homes and Community Renewal program for the p.w. minor project and the remaining balance of a $200,000 grant from New York State Empire State Development. The balance of the ESD grant will be used for the development of the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (WNY STAMP). 

Rent revenue of $672,000 will be generated from the MedTech Centre facility and common area maintenance fees from the Buffalo East Tech Park and Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park (Ag-Park). In addition, $672,200 in revenue will be received through the Empire Pipeline PILOT Increment Financing (PIF) and grant revenue from the United States Economic Development Administration that is restricted to support development at the Ag-Park.  

Additional revenues include $14,000 in grants from National Grid and $498,600 in principal and interest payments from several different companies for loans made in previous years.

Anticipated 2016 expenditures include the distribution of the state grant to support the p.w. minor project and building maintenance, an economic development program support grant, professional services and site/corporate park maintenance.

In 2015 the GGLDC made progress on a number of projects including: the widening of Route 63 to support commerce in the Ag-Park; assisting Bergen and Le Roy in securing an America’s Best Communities grant to create an economic development revitalization plan; and, completed enhancements to Buffalo East Tech Park, including roadway installation and improvements to the Route 5 entrance. The improvements at the Buffalo East Tech Park enabled the construction of Yancey’s Fancy new $20.6 million facility. 

“Thanks to the County’s assistance and our funding partners, the GGLDC has been successful in completing many projects,” said Thomas H. Felton, chairman of the GGLDC Board of Directors. “We continue to see significant attention from new businesses interested in locating in our County, and we are excited to work with our partners to bring new jobs and investment here.”

The recent death under questionable circumstances of a 91-year-old resident along with a series of complaints from tenants of 400 Towers has prompted Councilwoman Rosemary Christian to contact NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and request an audit of the senior housing complex, which is operated by the Batavia Housing Authority.

A spokesman for the comptroller's office said it's not unusual for the office to receive requests for audits from public officials and it is a factor in deciding audit priorities. 

Public housing complexes in New York do fall under the office's jurisdiction to audit, said Brian Butry.

He couldn't comment at this time, of course, on whether or when there might be an audit of 400 Towers.

"There seems to be a lot of problems and complaints from the residents there," Christian said in her e-mail to DiNapoli. "I have heard from many people who live there and they aren't very happy there."

Earlier this month a man was found dead on the roof of 400 Towers. It appears that the man, who may have suffered from mild dementia, wandered in the middle of the night from his apartment and onto the roof. A magnetic lock on the door leading to the roof may not have been operating correctly at the time, make it easier for the man to access the roof, but then he was unable to find his way back into the building.

Yesterday evening, Christian, along with Kyle Couchman, who had been hired by the deceased gentleman's family to help provide day care for the man, addressed a meeting of the housing authority board and said they would like answers to why certain things are taking place at 400 Towers.

Concerns include:

• A resident other residents seem to fear wanders freely and may have access to other residents' apartments;
• There have been a few thefts from apartments and there are concerns that somebody has a master key, or that there are too many master keys floating around; Christian would like to know why the locks haven't been changed;
• Why residents are not allowed to sit in the lobby for more than 30 minutes at a time and face fines if they violate the rule; Couchman said his client had been written up for such a violation and he found that disturbing and also suggested the rule violated existing leases;
• Christian wonders why a resident in a wheelchair was fined $45 after his wheelchair hit a metal door frame;
• Residents have been fined when the tires of their cars are on the yellow lines of parking spaces;
• Fine money must be paid separate from rent checks, and Christian wonders where the money goes and what it's spent on;
• Christian expressed concern that applicants for apartments are interviewed at the window in the lobby instead of a private room to protect their privacy.

Christian also raised these issues in her e-mail to DiNapoli.

While housing authority board members are appointed by City Manager Jason Molino, the city's involvement with the housing authority pretty much ends there. The authority operates independently of the city.  

Following the remarks by Christian and Couchman at Thursday's meeting, the board said it would not be discussing the questions or concerns at that meeting.

After a couple of years of considering his options, City Slickers owner Ken Mistler has settled on a design for an awning over the patio of his Downtown restaurant. The steel beams for the awning are being installed today and the awning should be completed in about a week. While the patio will be open, it will be heated, Mistler said.

A woman who was pulling her car out of her driveway about 8:30 a.m. was trapped in her car after it was struck by another vehicle on Edward Street Batavia.

The woman, whose name has not yet been released by Batavia PD, was extricated by city firefighters and transported to UMMC for evaluation.

The other driver was evaluated at the scene.

Officer Kevin DeFelice said the accident appeared to be a case of an obstructed view and unfortunate timing, but it remains under investigation.

A 25-year-old Pavilion resident is being held in the Genesee County Jail on $10,000 bail after being found allegedly growing marijuana.

The Local Drug Task Force executed a search warrant today at 10831 South Lake Road, Pavilion, and allegedly found marijuana growing, dried marijuana, smoking devices, U.S. currency, brass knuckles and several pieces of equipment used for growing marijuana.

The Task Force described the quanity of marijuana as "large."

Kyle R. Washington was charged with criminal possession of marijuana, 2nd, unlawful growing of cannabis by an unlicensed person and criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. 

The District Attorney's Office and uniformed members of the Sheriff's Office assisted in the investigation and arrest.

Live wires are down and sparking next to a structure at 13810 Sky Road on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. Alabama Fire Department is responding.

Lauren Picarro-Hoerbelt, president of the GO ART! Board of Directors, reports that the organization is conducting a new executive director search. Heather Grant, the former executive director is leaving Nov. 1. They have hired Interim Director Jennifer Gray until a permanent person is chosen for the position.

Here's their press release:

GO ART! seeks an energetic, organized, communicative manager for a two-county regional arts council, responsible for:

• Staff of two full-time and three part-time employees;
• Annual budget of $338,000;
• Working collaboratively with county and municipal government agencies;
• Writing and supervising grant applications and projects, including approximately $138,000/year of New York State Council on the Arts regrant funds;
• Working with a diverse clientele including other arts organizations (historic preservation, music, visual and performing arts), individual artists and groups;
• Administering an Historic Landmark facility in downtown Batavia, New York and seven local and regional galleries;
• Supervising GO ART! sponsored and/or based events including annual July 4^th “Picnic in the Park";
• Working with a volunteer Board of Directors, currently eight members representing both counties;
• Leads development and fundraising efforts including locating possible sources of funds.

1. Letter addressing why the candidate would be a good choice for GO ART!  (Please see the GO ART! Executive Director Job Description on the GO ART! Web site at http://www.goart.org/news/).

2. Résumé.

3. Two (2) Reference Letters (may not be from a relative of the Candidate) – at least one (1) Reference Letter must be from a community leader, an educator, or a person working in the artistic community.

If submitting electronically, submit all documents in .pdf or .docx format to:

GOARTDirectorSearch@gmail.com

If submitting via U.S. Mail, mark envelope as Confidential and mail to:

Executive Director Search Committee

GO ART!

201 E. Main St.

Batavia, NY 14020-2205

Attn.:  Lauren Hoerbelt – Search Committee Chair

ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED OR ELECTRONICALLY SUBMITTED BY MIDNIGHT ON FRIDAY, NOV. 20.

Press release:

Have you ever wondered why one permit is approved and the other denied? Or had great ideas about youth programs but didn’t know who to tell? If you volunteer for a committee then you can have those questions answered and have your ideas heard!

For about an hour a month (or sometimes less!) you can be on the inside and help make your community better. There are a variety of committees and boards so find one that meets your interests.

For example, if you want to help provide leadership development programs for City of Batavia youth, consider joining the Youth Board.

You will be part of a group that focuses on preventing juvenile delinquency by providing youth programs, services and activities! The time commitment is minimal at just a few hours a year but consider the impact those hours can have. Volunteers are needed so get your application in today and start making a difference in our City’s youth!  Applications are available at the City Clerk’s office or online at www.batavianewyork.com in the documents section.

Volunteer today to see the difference you can make! Applications are available at the City Clerk’s office or online at www.batavianewyork.com in the documents section. 

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”  – Dr. Seuss

A GoFundMe account has been set up with an initial goal of raising $3,000 to assist Lori Ann Santini and her three children after they lost their home on Brown Road, Corfu, to fire yesterday.

So far, $2,300 has been raised.

The house and all its contents were destroyed in the wind-swept fire.

Santini is a volunteer with the East Pembroke department as well as a medic with Mercy EMS and Le Roy Ambulance.  

To donate, click here.

Tony R. Judd, 26, of Akron, is charged with petit larceny. While employed at Walmart, Judd allegedly stole $550 in cash from a register over a five-day period.

Cailee Amber Neiss, 21, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Neiss allegedly slashed the tires on a car parked at a location on Lewiston Road, Batavia, on Monday.

Homer Jay Bush, 34, of Orchard Street, Oakfield, is charged with two counts harassment, 2nd. Bush allegedly hit two people during a domestic dispute at a residence on Bridge Road, Elba, at 9:44 p.m. Saturday.

Brad Michael Prinzi, 34, of Batavia Elba Townline Road, Oakfield, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding, operating without a motor vehicle inspection certificate and inadequate plate lamp. Prinzi was stopped at 12:27 a.m. Oct. 20 on Townline Road, Bergen, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Walter B. Hale, 38, of Oakfield, is charged with harassment, 2nd,and endangering the welfare of a child. Hale was allegedly involved in a verbal argument that became physical in front of his children. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Jessica A. Valvano-Hoag, 20, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Valvano-Hoag allegedly stole $70 in makeup from Walmart.

Throughout time, in all cultures, there have been men, Rose Callahan told a group of GCC students and faculty yesterday, who might be called "peacocks."

They like to dress with flare, some might even say extravagance, but always with style.

A photographer by trade, Callahan started a project a few years ago to document such men wherever she might find them, pretty much all over the world. The result is a book titled, "The Dandy Portraits: The Lives of Exquisite Gentlemen Today."

"Dandies are more dressed up, more formal, they like wearing suits, ties, cufflinks, hats. It's a little bit of a throwback to earlier times when men cared more about how they dressed. Everybody, in general, cared more about how they dressed."

And dandies care about appearance all of the time. Dandies would never run to the supermarket in sweatpants and a faded Buffalo Bills T-shirt, or stop by Tim Horton's in cargo shorts and flip-flops. But there was a time in American culture when men nearly always wore slacks, a pressed shirt, and a coat or jacket, and usually a hat. Callahan thinks something was lost when we let slip away the need to care about our public image.

"I think when you dress well, you treat people well," Callahan said. "When you dress well, you care more about yourself and when you take care of yourself, you're more often kind to people. It doesn't always go hand-in-hand, but I think it's a start. I think a lot of the men I've profiled and come across know that image is very important in our culture.

"There's a quote, 'dress well and succeed' and I think a lot of men are realizing that now. They dress well for where they want to be. They dress for the job they want to get. They dress to try and better themselves. I think that's important."

While dandyism remains the purview of the eccentric and eclectic, Callahan is cheered by the observation that more and more, men today do seem to take the time, to put in the effort to dress well, with, perhaps a sense of fashion if not style and taste. There has sprung up in the past few years a whole industry aimed at helping men with fashion, providing them lessons in decorum and etiquette, guiding them toward leading more rounded lives, such as "The Art of Manliness," "Alpha M" and "Real Men, Real Style."

Some of that may be necessary, Callahan said, because the art of gentlemanliness skipped a generation or two, and if there was no father to teach a son these life skills, where will a young man learn it?

"It is possible for a man, even if he's not dressed up like a dandy, to care about those things," Callahan said. "Like a dandy, they want to act in a more gentlemanly way. There's the fashion, but there's also the manners, and that's what the 'Art of Manliless' talks about, being a Renaissance man, taking care of yourself, being a connoisseur and being independent." 

The difference for dandies, of course, is they take all this art of being a gentleman to an extreme. Callahan calls it an obsession.

"Few of the dandies I met call themselves dandies," Callahan said. "To them, dandy means perfection. Beau Brummell, Oscar Wilde, to them, they were the perfect dandies, and they're not there yet. They haven't reached that level of perfection."

There are a lot of misconceptions about dandies, Callahan said, but none of them are true. Perhaps the biggest misconception is that dandies are gay, but that is not usually the case. Most are straight, many are married. They're also not all white, nor are they all rich.

In fact, it's quite possible to be a dandy on a budget. You just have to know where to shop, how to shop, and pay attention to every detail.

"It all depends on how you wear it," Callahan said.

And while most dandies reject seeing themselves as part of a cohort, a clique, a trend, a group of commonality of any kind, they do appreciate the attention Callahan's book is bringing to them. All of the subjects of the book were thrilled to be a part of it, she said, and now when she tours, she meets many more dandies who are excited to go to a public event where they will be appreciated.

"I don't think most people care or realize what an effort dandies put into their appearance when they see them walking down the street," Callahan said. "They might think, 'oh, that's a great look,' but they don't see the details that went into it. These guys care about the details a lot."

While Callahan has no expectation that her book will inspire new dandies, she does hope it serves as one more inspiration for today's men to care more about their overall image and appearance. 

"Not everybody wants to dress like that, but you can look at it and get some inspiration and hopefully take on some of those ideas," she said.

Eleven people who attended the lecture entered the dandy contest for a chance to win an autographed copy of Callahan's book.

Here's a video Callahan shared about one of the dandies in her book, Dandy Wellington.

Chief Don Newton said the brothers and sisters of the East Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department will take care of one of their own who lost her home to a fast-moving, wind-driven fire today. 

It was a tough thing to watch the home of a volunteer burn in conditions that made saving even a portion of the structure impossible. The house, at 2463 Brown Road, Corfu, sits in the middle of an agricultural area, so the high winds were complicated by a lack of a nearby fire hydrant. Water tankers and porta-ponds were needed to supply the pumpers and a consistent water flow was hard to maintain.

Newton and Tim Yaeger, emergency management coordinator, both said the fire was well advanced, the flames driven by the winds, by the time the first firefighters arrived.

"The fire would not have been advanced as it was if it was not as windy as it was today," Yaeger said. "We probably could have made an interior attack, but with this, right off the bat, the incident commander, the fire chief of East Pembroke, got on location and called an exterior attack only just because of the advancement of the fire."

The house, built in 1890, was owned by Lori Santini. She was at work and her children were in school when the fire broke out.

The fire appears to have started in an addition on the eastern side of the house at the location of a heat stove.

"Firefighters were able to retrieve a family pet, a dog, so the dog is out safely," Yaeger said.

However, the family cats were not located and are not believed to have survived, Newton said. The family also had pet birds and a pet newt. The fire did not spread to the nearby chicken coop and the chickens are apparently fine.

"It's always difficult to deal with that (a fire at the home of a volunteer firefighter), but thankfully everybody is OK, she's OK, the family is OK, and no injuries reported here of firefighters so far. Everybody is safe," Yaeger said.

The house and all of its contents were a complete loss. 

"We talked about Red Cross, but the chiefs said they will take care of her, so I'm sure she's in good hands," Yaeger said.

Newton said his department will likely head a communitywide effort to assist Santini and her children. The Batavian will share more information about assistance efforts when it becomes available.

(Submitted photo.)

Last week in Atlanta, Le Roy's Wolcott Street School was honored as a 2015 National School of Character.

Pictured from left are Sam Murphy, Character.org board president; JoAnn Hyde, Wolcott Street School counselor; Carol Messura, principal; Jon Wilson, WSS assistant principal; and Sheril Morgan, director of School of Character.

To celebrate the distinction, the school is holding a "Day of Character" on Friday, Nov. 6th, a culminating in an event at 1:40.

Specifics on the award can also be found on character.org.

Press release:

Today, the City pf Batavia is conducting a test of NY-ALERT, the state's All Hazards Alert and Notification System.

This Web-based portal allows State agencies, county and local governments, emergency service agencies and institutions of higher learning to provide emergency alerting information and private notifications to defined audiences. Road closures, fire and police activity, evacuation notices, and other emergency notifications are some examples of how the City of Batavia may use NY-ALERT.

NY-ALERT is FREE and subscription based. The City of Batavia encourages members of the community to register on the NY ALERT Web site at www.nyalert.gov. Your e-mail address will be your identifier. When you register, you can list multiple devices from which you will receive alerts and notifications.

Most alerts are issued locally by Genesee County or the City of Batavia. Local officials determine when to issue an alert and what devices to send alerts to. You may receive information on all the devices you registered, or just one. Each emergency is different; therefor, each alert will be tailored to meet the notification needs of the incident.

If you do not have access to the worldwide Web, you can still sign up for NY-ALERT by calling 1-888- 697-6972.

A live wire is down in the roadway at 9732 Francis Road, Bethany. National Grid is notified. Bethany fire is responding. The location is between Paradise Road and Batavia-Bethany TL Road.

A house fire is reported at 2463 Brown Road. East Pembroke Fire Department is responding along with mutual aid from Corfu, Pembroke, Alexander, Darien, and the City's Fast Team. Town of Batavia is requested to fill in at East Pembroke. The location is between Ridge and Halstead roads.

UPDATE 2:27 p.m.: East Pembroke -- all available manpower to the scene.

UPDATE 2:28 p.m.: East Pembroke command calls Town of Batavia to a dry hydrant on Wilkinson Road. Oakfield is asked to fill in at East Pembroke's hall.

UPDATE 2:32: The city's first platoon is called to headquarters.

UPDATE 2:35 p.m.: Command says an occupant is out of the house.

UPDATE 3 p.m.: Tankers from Bethany, Alabama and Oakfield are requested to the scene. National Grid was advised that wires are down. The high winds are making this fire difficult to fight.

UPDATE 3:07 p.m.: A crew from Elba is requested to stand by in its quarters in case needed for the Oakfield Fire District.

UPDATE 3:23 p.m.: Without specifying why they are needed, Mercy medics are called to the scene.

A utility pole is snapped and down in over the roadway along with wires at 64 Clinton St.

City fire is responding.

UPDATE 2:04 p.m.: The street will be temporarily closed near the incident. The wires are "still hot and there is concern they could start arcing."

UPDATE 2:33 p.m.: Power is out at Clinton Street and East Main.