Press release:

After championing funding for education to benefit Upstate New York’s schools, children, and students throughout the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced today that the recently signed American Rescue Plan includes $2.5 billion that will allow Upstate New York’s school districts: to fill budget gaps; address learning loss; meet the needs of students with disabilities; assist students experiencing homelessness; provide summer enrichment and afterschool programs, and more.

Schumer explained that after the COVID crisis forced schools to close, safely reopening them has and will continue to cost tens of thousands of dollars, and the federal funding allocated for them in the American Rescue Plan will help schools bring students back to their desks when New York recovers from the pandemic and returns to "normal."

“Everyone wants schools to reopen completely and for our children to be able to return to the classroom, but it needs to be done in a way that is safe for students, families, educators, and learning institutions,” Senator Schumer said.

“COVID brought unprecedented challenges that have cost a year of learning and development for students — challenges disproportionately felt by students of color, students from low-income families, students with disabilities, and more.

"As Majority Leader, I was proud to make funding for our schools a priority, and the American Rescue Plan will deliver this much needed aid to get Upstate students back in school. Help is on the way for Upstate New York’s schools put behind the curve by the pandemic.”

New York Senator Shelley Mayer, Chair of the Senate Education Committee said, “Thank you to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for his hard work and persistence to ensure New York schools and students receive much needed support through the American Rescue Plan. This unprecedented federal funding will put us on the right path to recover from the devastation our school communities faced during the pandemic.

"I am committed to working with my colleagues to ensure that all federal aid will be used to supplement, rather than replace, state funding. The pandemic exacerbated disparities in our schools, and we must ensure that resources and staff are available to help students recover academically and work through mental and emotional health challenges. Thank you also to Majority Leader Schumer’s staff members for working closely with me in our efforts to secure additional education funds for our schools.” 

This funding is in addition to the $5 billion Schumer secured for New York school districts in the past COVID-19 relief bills. In total, Schumer has secured over $14 billion for New York school districts in the past year.

Schumer previously visited the Finger Lakes, North Country, Central New York, Western New York, Southern Tier, and Hudson Valley to advocate for federal funding for Upstate school districts.

Genesee County is in the Rochester -- Finger Lakes Region, which is earmarked to get $392 million.

Collectively, Genesee County School districts are expected to get a total of $10,677,000:

An Ellicott Street Road farmer’s plan to place a pair of side-by-side community solar arrays on his property received the green light from the Batavia Town Planning Board on Tuesday night, but not before the project developer agreed to concessions pertaining to utility poles and aesthetics.

Toward the end of a 58-minute discussion among planners, Town of Batavia officials and representatives of Cypress Creek Renewables LLC via Zoom videoconferencing, five of the six planning board members on the call voted that the solar farms would cause no or little adverse environmental impact, and also approved the site plans and the required special use permits.

The proposal was presented in June 2019 by Don Partridge, who also is a member of the planning board. He was not allowed to vote on any measures pertaining to the project.

Partridge has contracted with Cypress Creek Renewables to construct two adjacent solar farms at 5117 Ellicott Street Road, southeast of the city limits:

• A 5-megawatt array on 18.2 acres of a 65-acre parcel of otherwise agricultural land, known as Trousdale Solar I;

• A 4-megawatt system on 19.6 acres of a 71-acre parcel of otherwise agricultural land, known as Trousdale Solar II.

The planning board tabled the project last month after determining it needed more photos and visual projections of current and future screening of the solar panel arrays.

Additional Screenings, Pole Relocation

Last night, Cypress Creek Renewables representatives Jerry Leone, Nick Hawvermale and attorney Mark Sweeney did present maps of the property, updated to show additional screening (berms and trees) – and what it would look like in five and 10 years. They also reported the relocation of three utility poles owned by CCR about 230 feet into the site, within the fence line.

Currently, the site plan calls for four utility poles owned by National Grid and the three owned by CCR.

While acknowledging CCR’s good faith effort to address the board’s concerns, planning board Member Paul McCullough said he believed that the number of poles could be reduced, calling them “ugly in these projects.”

His colleague, Jonathan Long, agreed, adding that the poles still could be seen from the solar farm’s driveway.

Planners also had hoped that the developers would obtain a letter from National Grid to see if the company could eliminate some of its utility poles, but Leone said the power company indicated it was unable to provide that.

Leone offered to plant more soil berms as “further mitigation -- not 24-feet high, but ground berming to create “more of a fit naturally to the land.”

What About Ground-mounted Enclosures?

At that point, McCullough asked if CCR could replace the utility poles with ground-mounted (transformer boxes). Leone responded by saying that modification would be expensive.

“We would be looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of about a $200,000 delta between what we’re proposing and going to a ground, perhaps a minimum, and that would be per connection,” Leone said.  "It gets to the point where we’re talking about a healthy price tag when we start talking about mounting below grade.”

Planner Steve Tanner noted CCR’s attempt at mitigation, but questioned whether it was enough to enable the board to issue a negative declaration for the State Environmental Quality Review.

The developers again brought up the additional screening on the east side and vegetative buffer in front of neighboring properties, before Leone advanced – "as a last resort” -- the idea of ground-mounted enclosures to replace a pole or two.

McCullough said he would be on board with that.

Hawvermale then reiterated the increased cost to CCR and said he hoped that National Grid could do the same, to some degree, with its poles.

“It does add construction timeline implications that make it a little more difficult for us. That’s something we can look into with National Grid,” he said.

Tanner then suggested that any site plan approval and special use permits issued should include stipulations that the three CCR poles and at least one National Grid pole be replaced with ground-mounted apparatus.

SEQR, Site Plans, Permits Approved

With that in place, planners voted that the project would have no or little environmental impact – thus rendering a “negative declaration” on the combined SEQR.

They then voted separately on the site plans and special use permits for the two arrays, heeding Town Engineer Steve Mountain’s advice to make it contingent upon: town engineering approval; obtaining cost estimates in the case of decommissioning; addressing NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets comments; securing additional screening; and reduction of the utility poles.

Unanimous votes on both solar farms now gives CCR the right to proceed with the project, pending the signing of resolutions that spell out the specifics of what was agreed upon.

Planning Board Chair Kathleen Jasinski, thanked all parties upon approval of the referral, adding that “it was mitigated to the best of our ability … and we can’t make everyone happy but we did our best.”

Jasinski opened the meeting by reading a letter dated March 9 from Christopher and Christine Long of 9234 Batavia Stafford Townline Road, expressing “our many concerns of a solar panel project so close in proximity to our home.” The Longs asked Jasinski if she would share the letter with the planning board before voting took place.

Summarizing, the Longs wrote that it was “wholly inappropriate for Partridge to “consistently sell his land to parties directly involved in Town of Batavia building projects while he is serving another seven-year term with the Planning Board … “and is a blatant and obvious conflict of interest.”

Concerns Over Resale Value, Safety

The couple also wrote that the solar farm would decrease the value and resale of its three parcels, totaling 5.4 acres with 1,080 feet of frontage on Batavia Stafford Townline Road, and are concerned for the safety of its family “as the project emerges in what is, essentially, our backyard.”

The Longs also said the project “is in direct conflict” with the Town of Batavia’s mission statement, which is to “protect and promote public health, safety, morals and general welfare for all residents in the Town of Batavia.”

Other reasons for their opposition indicated in the letter include safety of the industrial solar panels, pollution, disruption of the surrounding farmland and displacement of wildlife.

In closing, while reiterating its disagreement with the proposal, the Longs said they “adamantly insist that in addition to the installation of the code-required 8-foot perimeter fence, that a berm and/or several rows of trees be included in the plan and be established between the east side of the project and our home (and the) current trees and vegetation that compose the existing hedgerow should also remain intact.”

Partridge made a brief statement after Jasinski finished reading the letter:

“Relative to the Batavia Stafford Townline (Road), there are at least two properties between any properties on the town line and my property, and there’s no way that anywhere on the Batavia Stafford Townline (Road) you’ll be able to see this project. That’s all I want to say.”

Outdoor Shooting Range on Hold Until April 6

On another front, planners heard briefly from Brandon Lewis, owner of The Firing Pin in Bergen, about his plan to develop an outdoor recreational facility that includes shooting ranges and a drive-in movie theater on a 22-acre parcel at 3269 Harloff Road.

Previously, Lewis presented his proposal to the Genesee County Planning Board, which recommended approval of a special use permit and site plan with modifications pertaining to stormwater pollution mitigation, acquiring the proper permits, and ensuring there is no glare from the movie screen onto the New York State Thruway.

Town Building Inspector Dan Lang said his office has received numerous phone calls from residents – some positive and some negative – and asked planners to direct all questions in email form to Lang or Mountain.

Jasinski said a site plan review will be placed on the April 6 agenda and voting on the special use permit will take place after a public hearing on April 20.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) cosponsored and helped pass H.R. 1799, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Extension Act.

“Small business owners are still facing major challenges as a result of COVID-19. As we work to rebuild our economy and get people back to work, it is important to ensure businesses have access to every resource possible,” Jacobs said.

“This legislation extends the application deadline for this successful program so more businesses can receive benefits and reopen.”

The Paycheck Protection Program Extension Act extends the deadline for a small business to apply for a PPP loan by two months. The application deadline was previously set at March 31st, 2021. For more information on how to apply, click here. 

Definitely worth coming and letting your imagination run with all that you could do with this home-great way and time to jump into home ownership! Click here for more information or call Lynn Bezon today at Reliant Real Estate today, call (585) 344-HOME (4663).

1595 Bank Street Road, Middlebury -- Calling all hunters, wildlife lovers, or anyone looking for solitude and nature! This property has a little bit of something for everyone -- two-bedroom fully remodeled 1985 mobile home, move in ready and situated on over 7 acres with a 36x40 barn, two ponds and some great woods! Home has all new windows, 3 yr old metal roof, newly remodeled kitchen and bath, super cozy wood burning stove and appliances included! 200 amp electric and 4 yr new septic an added plus.

Sliding-glass doors leads to covered back patio area and great views:) Great woods and could be logged for extra ready income! The barn is ready for all your toys or shop needs -- water ready, plumbed for bath, cement floors and 100 amp electrical service. Also for all those with technology needs there is high speed cable available as well! Definitely come ready to take a walk and discover everything this property has to offer! Click here for more information or call Lynn Bezon today at Reliant Real Estate today, call (585) 344-HOME (4663).

An anticipated plea from Michael S. Tomaszewski in his funeral home fraud case has been delayed until April 13 for reasons not revealed during a brief County Court hearing today.

During the virtual hearing, Judge Charles Zambito and both attorneys -- Thomas Burns for the defense and Assistant District Attorney Kaitlynn Schmit -- mentioned a prior off-the-record discussion about the case without indicating what was discussed, but it seemed to have some bearing on Tomaszewski's decision not to enter a plea today.

For the record, Schmit said she thought there should be no delay in the plea.

"I don’t think our discussion today is going to have any effect on the plea offer," Schmit said. "I would like to have closure for the victims in these cases. I would ask that we proceed with the defendant’s plea if that’s how he intends on proceeding."

There is no indication that Tomaszewski won't accept the plea deal that's been offered by the District Attorney's Office.  

At a hearing in early February, the pending plea offer was discussed. Under the terms, Tomaszewski would admit to a Class D felony, a Class E felony, and a misdemeanor public health law offense. There is no cap on Tomaszewski's possible sentence but his time would run concurrently on all three counts. 

The plea couldn't be accepted at that hearing because Tomaszewski had not yet been arraigned in Town of Batavia Court on pending charges in that jurisdiction.

Today, Zambito appointed himself acting town justice and accepted Tomaszewski's not guilty plea to those charges during an arraignment.

Those charges will be satisfied with a guilty plea if Tomaszewski accepts the pending plea offer.

Tomaszewski, who operated the Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral Home and Cremation Chapel in Batavia for more than a decade, faces more than 200 charges stemming from accusations that he took money from customers who intended to prepay for funerals and, instead of depositing the money in appropriate accounts, he allegedly used the money for other purposes.

The criminal complaint indicates the majority of customers lost from more than $2,000 up to $15,500 each.

The charges include 67 counts of third-degree grand larceny, 28 counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, four counts of falsifying business records, 93 counts of failure to deposit, seven counts of petit larceny, and counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, and scheme to defraud.

He's also accused of improperly handling the remains of a deceased veteran. 

While his criminal case is pending, so his bankruptcy case. He filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2020. There was a hearing on the case yesterday, but the results of that hearing are not yet publicly available.

 Data Update – 

• Genesee County received 10 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 20s, 30s, 50s, 60s and 80s. 
• Seventeen of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Two of the current positive individuals are hospitalized. 
• Two of the new positive individuals are inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center.

Orleans County received two new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their, 0-19s and 50s.
• Four of the previous positive individuals has recovered and has been removed from the isolation list.
• Three of the current positive individuals is hospitalized.

From Sen. Ed Rath, NYS 61st Senate District:

“It has recently come to light that the Cuomo Administration’s ‘vaccine czar’ Larry Schwartz has been calling local county government officials to gauge their support of the embattled Governor, this suggests that politics may improperly impact the equitable distribution of vaccines to New Yorkers," Sen. Ed Rath said. "This raises serious questions for me surrounding the vaccine distribution and whether ‘support for the governor’ has been taken into consideration all along when determining vaccine allocations.  

“Our communities and frontline workers are trying to battle the ongoing public health crisis and get residents vaccinated. Furthermore, many of our rural communities continue to ask for additional vaccine allocations. What we need is to have collaboration and open communication between our State and local governments, not fear and intimidation.  

“As Ranking Member of the Local Government Committee, I raised my concern in our committee meeting this morning and asked for a subpoena to investigate the matter of communications between Larry Schwartz and our local governments. It is critical that this issue be examined.

"As legislators, we need clarity and hold those accountable for any erroneous actions. This Administration is engulfed in scandals and New Yorkers should not being paying the price for their continued screwups."

Thirty years ago Bill Hayes couldn’t have imagined where he is today, even though he figured out what field he would pursue early on.

As owner of Turnbull Heating and Air Conditioning, Hayes is celebrating his 30^th year in business and the 55^th anniversary of the founding of his company.

Hayes grew up in Rochester and joined the Navy, serving for six years. He pretty much knew where his career path would take him when he enrolled at Alfred State College to study heating and air conditioning. He also met his wife Jo Ann there.

They married, settled in Lackawanna and had two children, who were 5 and 7 when Hayes got the opportunity to take over Turnbull Heating and Air Conditioning. 

Turnbull Heating and Air Conditioning had been started in 1966 by Batavia native Roy Turnbull, who was working in Buffalo for a mechanical contractor when he decided to go in business for himself, working at his home at 7 Roosevelt St. In 1970 he relocated to the Harvester Building and incorporated in 1972.

“It was a four-or five-man operation until I took over in 1991,” Hayes said. “Roy had a part-time bookkeeper, himself and four mechanics.”

It was a twist of fate in which Hayes and Turnbull met.

“I was working as vice president of a heating and air conditioning company in Buffalo, which was a York dealer,” Hayes said. “Roy was also a York dealer. When my boss died at a young age in 1989, his wife was grieving and gave a trip they had planned to a York convention in the Grand Cayman Islands to Jo Ann and I. That’s where I met Roy.”

Years later when Turnbull was in the process of selling his company to two of his employees and retiring, Hayes wasn’t even in the picture, he said, until Turnbull’s negotiations with his employees fell through.

“We had kept in touch since the trip, and one day Roy called and asked what I was doing,” Hayes said. “I told him I was getting ready to make a lateral move somewhere, and he said, ‘Wait a minute. How would you like to live in Batavia?' I had kids 5 and 7 and lived only three streets from my mother-in-law, but I went home and asked my wife how she’d like to live in Batavia.”

Her answer was “No way,” Hayes said.

“But the next morning over coffee, she said, ‘You know, I never want to be the one to blame for our saying ‘What if we had moved to Batavia?’ ”

Hayes took a week’s vacation, during which time he rode on calls with Turnbull.

“It was scary to jump ship to another company,” Hayes said. “Nobody in Batavia knew me. But Roy and I agreed on some terms and he gave me a note and I paid off the business in 10 years. I signed the papers on Feb. 1, 1991, and the next day Roy went on vacation to Myrtle Beach (S.C.) and stayed three months. He said if I had any questions to call him.”

Hayes commuted from Lackawanna for a year and a half, always on call for emergency calls. In October, 1992, Hayes moved his family to Batavia.

Turnbull Heating and Air Conditioning has seen gradual growth under Hayes’ ownership. In 1997 he started A-1 Sheet Metal to make plenums and duct work and to accommodate the do-it-yourselfers. Hayes said their motto was “Do it yourself with our help.”

When Hayes bought the business, it occupied 400 square feet of office space and 2,000 square feet of shop. They had expanded to 20,000 square feet when landlord Tom Mancuso came to Hayes one day and said, “I have a building opportunity for you at 50 Franklin St.”

Hayes moved the business there in August 2007.

“It was the best thing I ever did,” he said. 

As a full-service heating, air conditioning and commercial refrigeration dealer, today Hayes’ company has 18 trucks on the road, with 26 full- and part-time employees.

With business growing throughout Western New York, especially in Rochester and Livingston County, in 2002, Hayes opened a satellite office in Avon to serve as a sales office and parts depot.

Photo by Howard Owens.

The odor of natural gas in Building #5 at the VA Medical Center in Batavia has prompted the evacuation of the building. City fire is responding to the site at 222 Richmond Ave. The leak was called in by VA police.

UPDATE 2:49 p.m.: Command confirms the odor of natural gas in the building, says it will be there awhile, investigating. National Fuel is called to the scene.

UPDATE 3:05 p.m.: National Fuel said they'll get a crew there ASAP.

UPDATE 3:08 p.m.: National Fuel is on scene.

A statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

“Following an incredibly generous allocation of federal aid to the tune of approximately $100 billion that would, according to a member of Sen. Chuck Schumer’s staff, wipe out our state deficit for the year entirely, we have been presented a tremendous opportunity to overhaul our state’s business climate and bring our economy roaring back through this recovery like never before.

"We have been given a clean slate with which we could finally make New York a competitive place to do business and create economic opportunity but, unfortunately, our colleagues in the Majority seem to be more interested in burdening our state with billions in new taxes in their budget proposal, even as we have seen a mass exodus of New Yorkers in recent years.

“This proposal by the Majority is a clear sign of a shifting paradigm in Albany, as it goes far above what even the governor proposed this year under the assumption our state would receive only minimal aid, as opposed to the massive package headed our way.

"Clearly the governor has lost any effective leverage in the budget process and is being walked over by radical progressives, and this proposal shows exactly why he needs to step down. We need a leader in this budget process who can stand up to ideologues and do what’s best for everyday working people, and Gov. Cuomo is in no position to be that person.”

Press release:

Registration is now open for free local electronics recycling events, in the spirit of Earth Day, which is Thursday, April 22. This year's Earth Day theme is "Restore Our Earth."

Last year, the Brockport-based electronics recycling company Sunnking saw record-breaking attendance, with eight events fully booked up for all drop-off time slots.

Due to coronavirus health and safety protocols, residents will be REQUIRED to register online for a drop-off time slot, or reserve a spot by calling (585) 637-8365.

Register online at sunnking.com/events and find a complete list of recyclable devices.

Sunnking collects an average of 100 tons of electronics per event.

Due to the rising costs of recycling and the coronavirus pandemic, Sunnking also asks supporters for an optional monetary donation to continue providing the environmentally responsible service.

Here is information about the first round of Upstate/Western NY events:

WHO: Sunnking Electronics Recycling

WHAT: Local electronics recycler, Sunnking, is opening registration for its initial round of FREE e-recycling events for 2021. 

WHEN:

• Batavia -- May 15 / 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• North Syracuse – April 17 / 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Williamsville – May 1 / 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

WHERE:

• Batavia -- Genesee Social Services Department, 5130 E. Main St., #3 (Enter off Ag Park Drive West.)
• North Syracuse – Cicero-North Syracuse High School
• Williamsville – Eastern Hills Mall

HOW:

Register online. Health and safety procedures will be in place to ensure a safe environment, including timed appointments, no-contact device removal, and dedicated drive-through lanes.

WHY:

Good stewardship of the Earth and its resources, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

********************************************************

"We're really excited to see how many people will carry over that excitement for recycling that we witnessed last year," said Robert Burns, director of Marketing for Sunnking. "Throughout the winter we've had New Yorkers from all corners call us asking when the next event would be and now, we can give them the first few dates to look forward to."

Sunnking, New York State’s first R2 certified recycler, has offered no-cost collections in Western and Central New York since 2010.

"Thousands of people have clearly used the last couple of cold months at home to take inventory of their devices or upgrade over the holidays and now is their chance to take back their space the responsible way," Burns said.

Today's announcement comes as Sunnking celebrates its 21st anniversary, offering clients throughout New York state electronics recycling, ITAD (IT Asset Disposition), and data destruction services.

More local events will be announced in the coming weeks.

Submitted photo and press release:

Classrooms throughout Genesee County are celebrating Agricultural Literacy Week March 15^th through 19^th.

Agricultural Literacy Week has been celebrated for the past 17 years as a way to promote agricultural literacy and learning to students across New York State.  

This year’s program highlights the dairy industry as the book "Chuck's Ice Cream Wish (Tales of the Dairy Godmother)" by Viola Butler will be read to students. The book will help students understand the importance of dairy farms and how ice cream is made.

In Genesee County, 70 elementary classrooms and more than 1,000 elementary students will be celebrating Agricultural Literacy Week. The Genesee County Dairy Princess Program and Assemblyman Steve Hawley (in top photo) will be visiting classrooms virtually through prerecorded videos.

More information about Agricultural Literacy Week in Genesee County can be found by visiting the Cornell Cooperative Extension website.

From Nikki Calhoun, chair, Le Roy Democratic Party:

Have you ever thought about running for local office? We want to talk to you.

We don’t care about your resume — if you care about your community and believe in progress, we want to help you.

In 2020, the work of local elected officials was critical to the safety and well-being of millions of Americans. This work will continue on in 2021.

If you decide to run — especially in these uncertain times — rest assured that your local Democratic Party will be there for you.

Le Roy has two town council seats and one town justice seat open in November. 

You are qualified. Are you ready? Contact LeroyDems@gmail.com for more information.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County Board of Directors meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23.  

Meetings are currently being held via Zoom and in keeping with Open Meeting Laws, Genesee County residents may attend. Please contact Yvonne Peck at ydp3@cornell.edu to register and receive link.

Any questions should be directed to Yvonne Peck at (585) 343-3040, ext. 123.

Batavia’s Little Free Pantry on Washington Avenue is teaming up with Applebee’s on Wednesday, March 17^th to help support those in need. 

T.L. Cannon Applebee’s will donate 15 percent of your online order tomorrow to The Little Free Pantry when you order from www.applebees.com. You must register or have an account and enter the code DOINGOOD. This donation/promo code is for “carside to go” or “pick-up orders” only.

The mini pantry movement is a grassroots, crowdsourced solution to provide immediate and local aid to those with food insecurity. Whether you have a need for food or a need to give, mini pantries help neighbors feed neighbors and nourish the community as a whole. 

The pantry and fridge are located at 180 Washington Ave. in the City of Batavia and it is open 24 hours a day all year. Daily updates about food and other items that are available are updated to the Facebook page daily.

If you would like to donate, please leave donations on the porch at 124 State St., or in the donation bin next to the food pantry in front of the dentist’s office on Washington.

Photo by Jim Burns.

Above, a clutch of gleaming Golden Prize Eggs, each containing a special note inside.

Photos and information from Matt Landers:

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia is excited to offer a modified version of its annual Easter Egg Hunt for the community to come together and enjoy.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the typical Easter Egg Hunt could not be safely run, but the Kiwanis members couldn’t stand the thought of canceling the event outright for a second year in a row due to coronavirus.

So this year’s event takes one of the fun aspects of the annual event -- the coveted Golden Prize Egg -- and makes it the focus of the hunt.

Starting on Friday, March 19^th, there will be one Golden Prize Egg hidden each day in Centennial Park for the kids to look for. One egg will be hidden each day through March 31^st.

The eggs will be hidden at different times to allow for families with different schedules to walk the park looking for the eggs. Each egg will entitle a child to an Oliver’s Chocolate Bunny as with past years' winners.

There will be a note inside each egg with instructions on where to gather for a picture with the Easter Bunny and to collect the prize chocolate bunny.

Winners must bring this note with them to collect the prize chocolate bunny. There will be a limit of one Golden Prize Egg per family.

The Kiwanis Club is very happy to provide this safe and healthy activity for families to participate in over the course of two weeks.

We encourage the whole family to come out and spend time together in the park, but since this is an Easter Egg Hunt for kids, prizes will be restricted to kids 12 and under, just as in the past. That’s not saying a big brother or big sister can’t help though!

Happy Hunting!

Below, the bewhiskered Easter Bunny with some Golden Prize Eggs.

Below, Batavia Kiwanis Club members and their furry, big-footed pal with some Golden Prize Eggs.

The Genesee County Legislature, acting upon a recommendation from its Genesee County Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative, has drafted a resolution to support the New York State Department of Civil Service in the implementation of several reforms designed to promote a more diverse and inclusive law enforcement workforce.

The legislature’s Public Service Committee on Monday passed the resolution, which is expected to be considered by the entire governing body next Wednesday.

Prior to that action, the PSC voted in favor of adopting the final report from the reform and reinvention committee, a 19-member group that met nine times over the past six months in response to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order No. 203 on community policing reform.

Former Legislator Robert Bausch reviewed the 12-page document for the committee, reporting the findings and recommendations on four specific areas:

• What Functions Should Police Perform?
• Employing Smart and Effective Policing Standards and Strategies;
• Fostering Community-Oriented Leadership, Culture and Accountability;
• Recruiting and Supporting Excellent Personnel.

It was the fourth topic that elicited the most comments from legislators and prompted them to compose the civil service reform resolution.

Bausch pointed out that New York State civil service laws, which control most of the employment process, create problems in recruitment through its “list” process and in the time it takes to fill vacant positions.

The Genesee County report indicates that “this is a significant barrier to recruitment and deters those from underserved populations from applying.”

Legislator Marianne Clattenburg agreed, stating “we need to address the way we hire, the Civil Service system. Students with Criminal Justice degrees can’t get on the list. I hope that at some point we can revise the procedures.”

Julie Carasone, consultant and certified implicit bias trainer, reiterated what others have said in recent weeks.

“The Civil Service system is antiquated,” said Carasone, who served on the Genesee County (and City of Batavia) reform committees and helped Bausch write the county’s report.

She then went a step further by imploring the legislators to do something about it.

“That’s where you guys come in as legislators,” she said “We can’t do that without your help … to change the laws and classifications. Just because someone is the most educated, it doesn’t mean he or she is best for the job.”

The legislature’s resolution on Civil Service reforms – which is being sent to the governor, state senators and assembly members -- seeks the following changes:

• Ease the “rule of three” for appointments. The state should consider a simple pass/fail test for deputy sheriffs, correction officers, public safety telecommunicators, and police officers. If this is unachievable, the state should consider band-scoring to a wider band than 5 points to allow for a more robust pool of eligible applicants.

• Ease or suspend the restrictions on hiring former police officers as it applies to Section 58 (4) CSL.

• Ease the restrictions on hiring part-time police officers, especially retired members or retired troopers on a noncompetitive basis. Forcing retired state troopers to have to take a civil service test is unreasonable, especially for a 209-V GML peace officer position.

• Reform civil service rules and regulations to ensure reasonable probationary periods for all transferees of at least six months. 

• Reform civil service rules and regulations to ensure that a previous test disqualification should prevent an individual from retaking a test for a period of time.

• Grant counties the authority to enact “continuous recruitment” options for correction officers. The state already has continuous recruitment for state correctional officers at DOCCS facilities.

As far as the status of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office is concerned, Bausch said the committee concluded that the agency is of “high quality” and is “not something that just happened, but has been built over a number of years and the current staff is keeping it going.”

“The problems that others are talking about, we did not find. Not that the Genesee County Sheriff's Office is perfect, but it’s well ahead of many others.”

Frank Capuano shared his photo with us of this morning's sunrise.

Eric Wies says it’s time for “drastic change.”

Yaeger, coordinator of Genesee County Emergency Services, and Wies, president of the Bergen Volunteer Fire Department, reported today to the Genesee County Legislature’s Public Service Committee on the findings of a task force set up to take an in-depth look at the state of emergency response in the county.

In short, what they have found is a critical shortage of volunteer firefighters. The situation has become so dire that some fire companies don’t have enough personnel to respond to an emergency and are having to call neighboring departments to assist.

“People in the system know it, but outside (in the general public) they don’t see the severe staffing issues,” he said. “We need a sustained response – 24/7 and 365. We need sustainability.”

He said studies of the problem – the lack of young men and women to replace those who have served their communities as volunteer firefighters for many years – have been conducted at different times, but nothing has been done about it.

“It’s been a matter of pointing a finger to blame somebody,” he said. “Nobody is to blame. There is no time (to waste). It’s more demanding every day.”

Wies, the task force chair (in photo at right), said that the Bergen Volunteer FD has two members over the age of 65 and they're still active.

“We don’t have an influx of young individuals,” he said, supporting Yaeger’s statement that “it’s a young person’s game.”

Wies said discussions within the task force and with county fire officials brought out a sobering reality: “We need change, and not just change, but we need drastic change. And not just immediately but going forward for our residents.”

He said the current structure of emergency services in Genesee County doesn't measure up to what is required to ensure complete coverage.

“If we were to take a map of Genesee County and imagine what emergency services would look like in this county – from scratch – it wouldn’t look anything like it is today … There has to be some drastic change in the framework.”

Wies said the committee concluded -- due to the fact that all have full-time jobs along with their part-time and volunteer roles in emergency and governmental services -- that it wouldn’t be able to develop an implementation plan.

“We’re not looking for a planning document that would sit on a shelf. We want a planning document that will evolve with the county for years to come but also to implement change because we feel we’re on the verge of meeting that change,” he said.

He said the committee reached out to firms that with expertise in evaluating municipal emergency response, and heard back from three of them – Center for Public Safety Management LLC, VFIS and Municipal Resources Inc. The task force then reviewed the proposals from each company, conducted interviews and listened to presentations prior to choosing MRI, which is based in Plymouth, N.H.

“From a pricing standpoint, the lowest price was $27,400 and, the highest price, with some annual options, was from MRI at $94,625,” he said. “Ultimately, the company that we felt was the best fit for us is MRI and, unfortunately, that’s most expensive option.”

Wies said reasons in that decision included the fact that MRI’s team leader represents a municipal fire department that is similar in size to what the county offers and that MRI is willing to come to this area with a five-person team to hold meetings with county officials, all emergency services departments, law enforcement and business people.

“… and we definitely agree that they could provide the most insight as to what situation we have, what the issues are and hopefully coming out with a solution that will fit us for years to come,” he said, adding that the next step is figuring a way to fund a potential agreement with MRI.

Both men said they need “stakeholder buy-in” with a goal of maintaining the identities and utilizing the current town and village fire companies.

Yaeger said it’s all about “what the citizens deserve and what do they expect (when an emergency occurs)? And we need to get there.”

When asked if there was a statewide push to address this issue, Yaeger said “nobody has had the audacity to stand up” to effect change. “New York has to wake up and realize there’s a severe problem in our state."

Prompting Wies to say, “That’s why we think it’s best for Genesee County to go it alone.”

Others on the task force are County legislators Gordon Dibble and Gregg Torrey, Elba FD Chief Mike Heale, Elba Town Supervisor Donna Hynes, Pavilion Town Supervisor Robert LaPoint, Byron FD Chief Bob Mruczek and County Emergency Services Deputy Coordinator Bill Schutt.