Data Update – 

• Genesee County received 36 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 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s. 
• Nine of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• One of the current positive individuals are hospitalized. 
• Two of the new positive individuals are inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center.

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

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their, 0-19s, 40s, and 50s.
• One of the new positive individuals was under mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Seven of the previous positive individuals has recovered and has been removed from the isolation list.
• Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

The Sheriff's Office has recovered the remains of another person apparently turned over to Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral Home and Cremation Chapel for interment.

Chief Deputy Joseph Graff said no other information about the recovery will be released at this time. The case is under investigation and Graff said there will be a press release about the case if new charges are filed against Michael Tomaszewski.

Tomaszewski is already facing criminal charges for an alleged failure to properly bury the remains of a military veteran along with more than 200 criminal charges for allegedly misappropriating funds deposited with his business by families expecting to make prearrangments for funerals. The criminal complaint indicates the majority of customers lost from more than $2,000 up to $15,500 each.

There was also an allegation last year that Tomaszewski mishandled the remains of a baby but that case has never resulted in charges.

Graff said the discovery of the remains this week was the result of information provided to the Sheriff's Office by Tomaszewski's attorney. Tomaszewski is represented by Thomas Burns.

There is a plea offer pending for Tomaszewski and the defendant was expected to accept the plea at a hearing earlier this week but after an off-the-record conference with Judge Charles Zambito, the hearing was postponed until April 13.

This week, Tomaszewski's bankruptcy case was converted from a Chapter 11 (reorganization of debt) to a Chapter 7 (liquidation).

So much has been done to this home in the last five years -- roof, siding, flooring, and painting throughout just to start the list! The main bath recently remodeled and I promise, you will find many reasons to shut the door and stay awhile -- so pretty and even has heated floors! Nicely finished hardwood floors, large kitchen with plenty of newer cabinetry and new stainless appliances with attached dining area with a sliding glass door to let the sunshine in!

The basement in this house adds a whole other layer of living with a great home office leading into large family room area that has small kitchenette and a second full bath. There is also large utility area and a separate storage room for all your extra stuff -- so much great usable space! There is an extra-deep attached garage, which leads out to fully fenced back yard with an additional fenced in area and large utility shed!

Outside is landscaped with loads of perennials so you can ease right into sunny weather -- make an appointment today or click here for more information on this listing.

Terrence Irvin (inset photo left), son of Terrence and Priscilla Irvin, of Batavia, attained this latest rank after serving only seven years in the Marine Corps.

Irvin, a 2011 graduate of Batavia High School, credits his coach and mentor Nick Burk and jumper Ray Williams from his track and field team for the confidence to succeed as a Marine.

“Coach Burk helped me believe in myself,” Irvin said.

Passion & Perseverance

Irvin recalls a track meet at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2010.

“I’ll never forget it,” Irvin said. “It was during a long jump. I kept getting big jumps, but would foul. So I wanted to never jump anymore. I look back now and see Ray Williams limping with a knee injury, but still going out and jumping 20 feet, maybe more.

"To see his passion to win and physical toughness to jump through pain gave me the motivation I so desperately needed. At the same track meet, I went and high-jumped six feet, tying the school record at that time.”

Irvin also played basketball growing up.

After graduating from high school, he was going to join the Marines. But he had a cousin, James Reeves, who was already in the Marines and Irvin asked him about it.

“He said, ‘Do it.’ At that moment my decision was made. My uncle Shawn served in the Army in the early 2000s, but growing up, I never thought or wanted to be part of the military. I gave it a shot and it has worked out perfect for me.”

One of the Few and the Proud

Overall, the Marine Corps and its high standards have given him a greater sense of pride and purpose. Latin for “Always Faithful,” Semper Fidelis is the motto of every Marine — "an eternal and collective commitment to the success of our battles, the progress of our Nation, and the steadfast loyalty to the fellow Marines we fight alongside."

Irvin was assigned to the Security Guard detail for several government dignitaries in the Trump Administration, including the 45th President of the United States Donald J. Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, followed by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of Defense -- retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, former White House Chief of Staff -- retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, and the late Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Irvin also participated in multiple Color Guard ceremonies.

He has served in the Middle East, but says he doesn’t have a favorite detail.

All Business, No Excuses

“It’s all business,” he said. “I get a job and I go out and do it with no excuses.”

He plans to stay in the Marines until his body says it’s time to go, he said. 

His long-term goal is to team up with his cousin Darien and open a fitness/recreation center in Batavia. He thinks the area would welcome a facility with weights, cardio machines, mixed martial arts section, and a 200-meter indoor track above a large basketball court.

“During high school indoor-track season, it would help the next generation by having the right equipment on which to train, as well,” Irvin said. “Maybe we could have some basketball tournaments to reward the top players in the area. I think there is a lot of potential in that area.”

Below, Terrence Irvin, left, and a comrade ready to practice their marksmanship at a gun range.

Bottom, Terrence Irvin's certificate of promotion to Staff Sargeant in the Marine Corps on Feb. 1, 2021.

Photos courtesy of Terrence Irvin.

Previously: Local Marine part of security detail for Secretary of State while in Brussels

The Genesee Country Farmers’ Market, pending approval from the Batavia City Council, is moving across Alva Place this year.

The event summary for this Monday night’s City Council Conference Meeting includes an application submitted by Sharon Brant, farmer’s market treasurer, to conduct business beginning June 4 and running through Oct. 29.

The proposed location is in the former JC Penney parking lot across the street, just south of where the market has operated for the past five years.

Brant said tents and tables will be set up “more towards the corner that goes up to the Bank of America drive-through from what I understand from the pictures (renderings).”

She said this year’s hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. The market offers fresh produce, baked goods, flowers and crafts, as well as beer and wine tastings, and a food vending truck.

Brant said she is working with potential vendors and plans to issue a press release once all of those applications have been received and approved.

Asked about a location beyond this year -- due to the city looking to build a new police station at the previous Alva/Bank site, Brant said she been communicating with City Manager Rachael Tabelski on a monthly basis.

“There’s nothing definite yet, but we are talking,” she said.

In other developments:

• The Batavia Concert Band has applied to the city for permission to offer seven performances at Centennial Park.

The first one is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, June 19. The others will take place at 7 p.m. on consecutive Wednesdays, starting June 30.

• Tabelski will be asking Council to create a temporary position of superintendent of water & wastewater in light of current Superintendent Bill Davis’ wish to retire within the next eight to 12 months.

“The goal in creating the temporary position is to ensure that the knowledge, skills and abilities of the current superintendent … are transferred to a successor,” Tabelski wrote in a memo dated March 16.

She also indicated the job is a Civil Service competitive position, and requires someone with specialized training and experience in water plant operations, wastewater and water treatment distribution systems.

Per the memo, the temporary job’s $76,000 non-union salary to be split equally between the water and wastewater funds. When Davis does retire, the temporary appointment would move into the permanent position.

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Monday’s meeting in the Council Board Room on the second floor of the Batavia City Centre is scheduled for 7 p.m. It is open to the public with appropriate facemasks, social distancing and temperature screening upon arrival.

It will be streamed live on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bataviany/ and also can be viewed on Spectrum Channel 1301 at 9 a.m. March 24 and 8 p.m. March 26.

Charles Lewis Hull Jr., 63, of 9460 Warsaw Road, Le Roy, is charged with allowing his dogs to bark loudly habitually, in violation of Le Roy Town Code Section 63-11 sub 3, according to a report from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office. Deputies responded to his home at 12:13 p.m. March 13 for an animal complaint, which alleges he allows his dogs to bark habitually thereby disrupting other citizens in the neighborhood. He was issued an appearance ticket to be in Le Roy Town Court at 1 p.m. on April 6. The case was handled by Deputy Zachary Hoy, assisted by Deputy Erik Andre.

Christine Michelle Jones, 33, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with third-degree grand larceny and offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree. She was arrested and arraigned in Genesee County Court on March 16, then released on her own recognizance. She is accused of filing an application for SNAP benefits on May 1, 2018 that either contained false information or omitted information, and as a result she received $17,197 in benefits that she was not eligible for. The investigation was completed by Genesee County Department of Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi and she was arrested by Genesee County Sheriff's Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello, assisted by Deputy Chad Cummings.

Trina Leigh Grimmer, 49, of Townline Road, Byron, is charged with third-degree grand larceny and six counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree. She was arrested and arraigned in Genesee County Court on March 17, then released on her own recognizance. She is accused of filing applications for SNAP benefits that either contained false information or omitted information, and as a result she received $8,104 in benefits that she was not eligible for. The investigation was completed by Genesee County Department of Social Services Investigator Dakota Nicholson and she was arrested by Genesee County Sheriff's Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello.

Dawn Marie Puleo, 54, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with third-degree grand larceny and four counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree. She was arrested and arraigned in Genesee County Court on March 16, then released on her own recognizance. She is accused of filing applications for SNAP benefits on Nov. 1, 2018 that either contained false information or omitted information, and as a result she received $4,555 in benefits that she was not eligible for. The investigation was completed by Genesee County Department of Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi and she was arrested by Genesee County Sheriff's Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello, assisted by Deputy Chad Cummings.

Erin Marie Rutoskey, 34, of Columbia Avenue, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and fifth-degree conspiracy. At 7:52 p.m. on March 3, Genesee County Sheriff's deputies responded to Walmart in Batavia. After an investigation, Rutoskey was arrested for allegedly stealing property valued in excess of $1,000 and allegedly damaging property. She is due in Batavia Town Court on April 8. The case was handled by Deputy Kyle Krzemien, assisted by Sgt. Andrew Hale.

Angeline Ella Lorreine Escudero, 28, of Columbia Avenue, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and fifth-degree conspiracy. At 7:52 p.m. on March 3, Genesee County Sheriff's deputies responded to Walmart in Batavia. After an investigation, Escudero was arrested for allegedly stealing property valued in excess of $1,000 and allegedly damaging property. She is due in Batavia Town Court on April 8. The case was handled by Deputy Zachary Hoy, assisted by Deputy Erik Andre.

Data update:

Genesee County received 15 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 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. 
• Eleven of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized. 

Orleans County received 11 new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 70s and 80s.
• One of the previous positive individuals has recovered and has been removed from the isolation list.
• Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

Press release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel is pleased to announce the following changes to the upcoming Rockin’ the Downs Summer Concert Series.  

The Grass Roots replaces The Sweet, the band originally scheduled for July 30^th. The Grass Roots originated in the mid-'60s and charted with such hits as; "Midnight Confessions," "Let’s Live for Today," "Sooner or Later" and "Temptation Eyes." The band's current lineup is Mark Dawson, Dusty Hanvey, Larry Nelson and Joe Dougherty, who have been playing together since 2012 and have delighted audiences across the country.

Friday, Aug. 20th sees American Alternative Rock band, Puddle of Mudd, return to the Downs. Rocking the stage here in 2018, the post-grunge band was one of the highlights of the entire summer. Hailing from Kansas City, Mo., the band has sold more than 7 million albums. Concertgoers will be sure to hear hits such as "She Hates Me," "Blurry" and "Control."

Tickets for all nine concerts will be available at www.BataviaConcerts.com once guidance is received from New York State on the holding of outdoor events. Tickets will also be available for purchase at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel at the Lucky Treasures Gift Shop located in the lobby.

The current concert schedule is as follows:

June 25 -- Steve Augeri, former lead vocalist for Journey
July 2 -- Molly Hatchet
July 9 -- Don Felder, formerly of The Eagles
July 16 -- Tommy James & The Shondells
July 23 -- Skid Row
July 30 -- The Grass Roots
Aug. 6 -- The Machine (Pink Floyd Tribute)
Aug. 13 -- Queensryche
Aug. 20 -- Puddle of Mudd

Press release:

Following steadfast support for New York’s colleges and universities throughout the pandemic, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced that the recently signed American Rescue Plan includes an estimated $2.6 billion for New York’s public, private, and proprietary institutions of higher education.

In Genesee County, Genesee Community College is expected to get $9.1M and Genesee-Livingston-Steuben-Wyoming BOCES is expected to get a total of $662,000. The total allotment for the Finger Lakes Region is almost $164M.

Schumer said that public and nonprofit schools will use half of their award on emergency financial aid grants to students to help them with college costs and basic needs like housing, food, and healthcare.

The other half of the funds will allow institutions to provide additional student support activities, and to cover a variety of institutional costs, including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll. Proprietary schools must use their awards exclusively to provide financial aid grants to students.

“As New York’s colleges, universities, and students face over a year of unprecedented hurdles, they do so at a steep cost that it is our responsibility to address and overcome. In prioritizing the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff, New York’s higher education institutions have ripped massive holes in their budgets and are now facing down financial devastation – and we simply can’t let that happen,” Senator Schumer said.

“As Majority Leader, I was proud to make funding for New York’s higher education institutions and students a top priority, and the American Rescue Plan will deliver this much needed $2.6 billion in assistance to help our world-class institutions through the crisis, get students safely back to classes, and get campuses across the state back to ‘normal’.”

This funding announced today is in addition to the $2.4 billion Schumer secured for New York’s institutions of higher education in the past COVID-19 relief bills. In total, Schumer has secured over $5 billion for New York’s colleges and universities in the past year.

Press release:

REMINDER: The Genesee County Interagency Council is pleased to be offering a $1,000 scholarship for the Fall 2021-2022 semester for Genesee Community College students and high school seniors.

Those eligible will be students living in Genesee County and attending Genesee Community College or high school seniors; in good academic standing, and majoring in or intending to major in Human Services, Social Work, Sociology or Psychology ONLY.  

Because the goal of this scholarship is to support those students who have a strong drive to contribute to the field of Human Services, special consideration will be given to those students who have already demonstrated a commitment to the field through their employment, volunteer, academic, or extracurricular pursuits.  

Completed applications must be received by Friday, May 7.

Here are the PDF links to download / print out / complete / mail in / or scan in and email:

• High School Student Application
• Genesee Community College Student Application

The awardee will be notified by June 1 and presented at our June 17th picnic meeting. However, if the picnic is cancelled due to COVID-19, we will acknowledge the awardee in another way and the check will be mailed directly to the individual.

We look forward to having the opportunity to support a Genesee Community College student in their pursuit of a degree in the field of Human Services. 

Please feel free to phone David Dodge at (585) 343-1611 if you have any questions.

The mission of the Genesee County Interagency Council is to create fellowship and understanding among community human services agencies. The council helps to identify community issues and encourages development of resolutions.

Genesee County Interagency Council Inc.

P.O. Box 1619

Batavia, NY 14021

Press release:

The Pembroke Central School District added a team to its athletic lineup this school year in Unified Bowling. Special Olympics Unified Sports joins people with and without disabilities to play and compete on the same team to bolster friendship, understanding, inclusion, and tolerance in schools.

Through Unified Sports, regardless of any disability, all athletes matter and are provided opportunities to proudly wear their school uniform while having a chance to shine athletically.   

Pembroke was ready to field its first-ever Unified Basketball team last spring, but the pandemic and subsequent nationwide quarantine waylaid those plans. The school community was elated to learn that it could participate in Unified Bowling this season, even though everyone must wear masks and socially distance.

Section VI has graciously accepted Pembroke’s Unified team into its league, giving Pembroke athletes the chance to compete with schools that are geographically closer than some of its Section V counterparts.

This bodes well for some of Pembroke’s athletes who face unique transportation needs. When pandemic restrictions are finally lifted, the team will travel to its away matches at locations in Section VI. Until then, meets will continue to be held virtually.

The Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia has been a wonderful host for Pembroke Unified Bowling meets and has been very accommodating. Under normal circumstances, competitors travel to various bowling lanes in WNY to compete in person against other schools, but this season, all meets are completed virtually with each school bowling at their respective lanes and scores being reported online.

Unified Sports truly brings out the best in everyone, and Pembroke is honored to continue developing a school community rooted in inclusion, tolerance, and acceptance.

According to Principal Nathan Work, Ed.D., “Even though we all have masks on, you can still see the smiles shining through. There is not a day that goes by that one of these athletes or partners doesn’t inspire me and warm my heart; this is truly humanity at its finest.” 

There are 17 students on the team and they are coached by Alex Kaminski, Matthew Lingle, and Work. Pembroke’s next Unified Bowling meet is scheduled for Friday, March 19th at 3:30 p.m. 

The season runs from Feb. 23rd to March 25th and athletes will participate in a total of seven meets. School officials plan to add additional sports to Pembroke’s Unified Sports program as pandemic restrictions and resources allow. 

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) joined with colleagues to ask the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to uphold agricultural purchase commitments made by China under the Phase One trade deal. 

“American farmers and businesses have been cheated for decades by China’s malign trade practices and efforts to artificially bolster their state-run entities,” Jacobs said. “The Phase One trade deal was critical to supporting American farmers and increasing American exports.”

The Phase One trade deal, signed in January 2020, required China to purchase $200 billion worth of American products, goods, and services. In part, China agreed to purchase $12.5 billion in additional agricultural products above the 2017 trade level in 2020.

Current data shows that the Chinese government failed to meet those 2020 purchasing commitments. If needed, the Phase One trade deal has built-in mechanisms that can be used by the United States government to enforce those commitments.  

“Ensuring China adheres to purchasing agreements is critical to supporting American farmers, especially as they continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Jacobs said. “I urge the Secretary to work with the U.S. Trade Representative to review the Phase One trade deal and implement necessary enforcement measures to hold China accountable.”

Photo: Work on a new high-capacity water line along Route 77 is part of a $2 million infrastructure construction project at STAMP.

Submitted photo and press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) today announced that with the anticipated completion of a $2 million infrastructure project this summer, water capacity will increase to more than 1 million gallons per day at the 1,250-acre Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) mega site in Genesee County.

“Every infrastructure milestone adds to the tremendous momentum behind STAMP. Our ability to deliver low-cost, 100-percent renewable power, and utility infrastructure aligned with project timelines and capacities, is driving even greater interest from site selectors and companies looking to locate in Genesee County,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde.

Hyde noted that STAMP’s development is advancing with significant infrastructure design, engineering, and construction milestones. The mega-site is already designed and permitted for the construction of over 6 million square feet of advanced manufacturing facility space.

The water infrastructure project includes the installation of new high-capacity water lines that will connect with previously extended infrastructure on New York State Route 77 that runs along the STAMP site.

The water line project is supported by New York State, and is aligned with investments by Genesee County and the towns of Alabama and Pembroke to expand infrastructure for economic and community growth. Morsch Pipeline in Avon serves as the lead contractor on the project.

In February, Plug Power Inc. announced it plans to begin construction of North America’s largest green hydrogen production facility at STAMP. Plug Power’s $290 million proposed facility and electric substation investment further expands access to high-capacity, flexible infrastructure on parcels ranging from 30 acres to over 650 acres, Hyde said.

“Partnering with an industry leader like Plug Power is another significant asset available at STAMP to grow the renewable and advanced manufacturing sectors, which will transform our regional economy for generations,” Hyde said.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR), a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. Family of Agencies, welcomes Betesha Thompson to assist people with disabilities in the Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming County (GOW) Region as a Medicaid Application Assistance Program (MAAP) Facilitated Enroller. 

Thompson comes to ILGR after having gained experience as: a Heath Care Coordinator at East House in Rochester; a Children’s Behavior Health Service Provider at the Hillside Family of Agencies, also in Rochester; a Residential Living Specialist at Eagle Star Housing in East Pembroke; a Residential Advisor at Iroquois Job Care Center in Medina; and a Direct Support Professional at The Arc of Monroe in Rochester.

She holds a Regents Diploma from Albion High School.

Looking forward to assisting persons in need, Thompson says, "I intend to use all of my skills to make sure every individual I work with has that person-centered experience."

In this position, she will assist individuals who are over 65 years of age, legally blind, or receiving Social Security Disability in applying for Medicaid insurance by determining the type of Medicaid coverage that is best for them. She can even assist in completing the application and collecting necessary documentation to submit with the Medicaid application.

Additionally, she will conduct outreach activities to educate, engage and enroll qualified individuals who live in the GOW Region.

ILGR is delighted that Thompson is bringing her vast experience to serve the GOW region in her new capacity.

ILGR offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Although sales tax receipts continue to lag compared to last year’s figures, Genesee County Treasurer Scott German said he is optimistic that 2021 will prove to be financially robust.

“The county continues to receive less sales tax than 2020 – receipts are down about 9 percent for the first three months -- but hopefully as business continues to reopen sales tax will get stronger,” German said. “The county adopted a fiscally conservative budget for 2021 and, barring any other catastrophe, county finances should end in 2021 strong.”

German, in presenting his departmental report Wednesday to the Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee, emphasized that the county’s decision to adopt a “conservative” budget for the 2021 fiscal year (Jan. 1-Dec. 31) will go a long way in stabilizing its economic picture as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

“Last year was very tumultuous,” he said, noting that state officials projected a 20- to 30-percent loss in sales tax and 20-percent decrease in state aid. “Remarkably, however, our sales tax revenues declined by only 2.66 percent from 2019.”

His report indicated that the county shared 16 percent or $6.5 million of the sales tax amount received with the City of Batavia, and that New York State has approved additional withholdings from the county’s share of sales tax revenues for 2021 for a distressed provider assistance fund.

German also mentioned that the county received a boost from the first federal stimulus package as its Medicaid shares resulted in a savings of $900,000.

At the end of 2020, the county had an unassigned balance of $14,644,551, a decrease of $520,514 from 2019, German reported. Meanwhile, the county’s self-insurance fund reserves went up from $743,193 at the end of 2019 to $1,493,261 at the close of 2020, with the increase attributed to a drop in medical procedures.

The county received $58,863 more in mortgage taxes in 2020 compared to 2019, he said.

Looking ahead, German said the $11.1 million allocated to the county through the American Rescue Plan will be divided into equal installments in 2021 and 2022. The utilization of these funds has yet to be determined, he added.

In a related development, Kevin Andrews, director of Real Property Tax Services, reported home sales are “trending up” and that most of the county’s towns and villages are working on reassessment projects for the 2021 assessment rolls.

Last year, RPTS supported reassessments in the towns of Bergen, Byron, Elba, Oakfield and Stafford, while similar projects in the City of Batavia and towns of Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Darien, Le Roy, Pavilion and Pembroke were canceled due to COVID-19, Andrews said.

Submitted photo and press release:

Notre Dame High School is celebrating their 70th Anniversary on May 6 with a day full of special events!

The celebration will start with re-enactment of the ground breaking followed by an anniversary mass at the school including an alumni from each decade speaking at mass. The mission club will hold a May crowing celebration at the grotto and the day will close with a “reception” celebrating 70 years.

The Advancement Committee is having a cash raffle fundraiser with a top prize of $20,000 to be drawn at the reception. More information on the 70th Anniversary Day of Celebration events will be coming in the next few weeks. Tickets for the cash raffle are on sale now.

Important in-person fundraisers, like the annual trip night event, that raise monies used for financial aid and scholarships for students are still not able to happen. The Advancement Committee is trying to come up with creative ways to still raise money and the 70th Anniversary presented an opportunity to do so.

Notre Dame Events coordinator, Kathy Antinore, says “After the success of the Ca$h for Christmas Reverse Raffle, we decided to give an even bigger cash prize correlating with our 70th Anniversary.” The school is hoping to sell 1,000 raffle tickets.

Tickets are $70 each or two for $100 for a chance to win $20,000 or one of 10 $500 cash prizes. The drawing will be held “Live” on the Notre Dame Facebook page and YouTube page on Thursday, May 6th at 6:30 p.m. during the anniversary reception. More information can be found on the school’s website and social media pages.

Interested in purchasing tickets, please contact Notre Dame at (585) 343-2783, ext. 106.

Notre Dame High School, located at 73 Union St. in Batavia, is a private co-educational Jr./Sr. high school. Recognized for the 16th consecutive year as the number one secondary school in Genesee, Wyoming, and Orleans counties by Buffalo Business First.

Notre Dame is a diverse learning community dedicated to academic excellence and rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition. For more information, please visit www.ndhsbatavia.com

Update: March 19, 4:30 p.m.

A spokesperson for Gap Inc. told The Batavian that 30 to 50 employees are expected to be hired at this location.

The Batavia store adds to the company's Western New York footprint that currently has five stores in the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area and four in the Rochester area.

"Our brand offers on-trernd, affordable and high quality products that we now are excited to make available for families in the Batavia community," the spokesperson added.

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Two new stores – Old Navy and Ulta Beauty – will be coming to the Towne Center at Batavia on Veterans Memorial Drive within the next few months.

Town of Batavia Building Inspector Dan Lang confirmed at tonight’s Town Board meeting that the merchandising giants are expected to open at the retail hub this spring.

He said that the Old Navy clothing store at 4222 Veterans Memorial Drive will feature 14,588 square feet of retail space, while the Ulta Beauty cosmetics store at 4192 Veterans Memorial Drive will have 10,723 square feet of retail space.

The Old Navy store is taking space formerly used by Bed Bath and Beyond.

Searches on the companies’ websites reveal that Old Navy, part of Gap Inc., is advertising for part-time brand associates and Ulta Beauty is advertising for part-time beauty advisors at Towne Center at Batavia.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in San Francisco, Old Navy has approximately 1,106 stores worldwide. Its total revenue in 2019 was $4 billion. The largest of the Old Navy stores are its flagship stores, located in New York City, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Manila, and Mexico City.

In business for more than 30 years, Ulta Beauty has approximately 1,200 stores in all 50 states and, according to its website, has created more than 22,000 new jobs since 2015. Ninety-two percent of its 45,000 store, distribution center and corporate associates are women. Its headquarters are in Bolingbrook, Ill.

The Batavian has reached out via email to Old Navy and Ulta Beauty media relations for additional information.

The Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District enjoyed a record year in 2021 as it initiated and finished 13 grant-funded agricultural and other projects designed to ensure the continued flow of clean, safe water, the department’s manager said on Wednesday.

“It was extremely busy,” said Brad Mudrzynski, during his yearly report at the Genesee County Legislature’s Public Service Committee meeting at the Old County Courthouse.

He said projects included cover crop implementation, small erosion control systems and manure management-related topics.

“Another one is a manure storage cover that goes on top of the manure lagoon to capture any burn-off of methane, rather than having methane emissions, and there were a couple of different stream riparian buffers – native plantings along the side of the stream to prevent sediment nutrients from going into the stream,” Mudrzynski said.

Furthermore, he said that seven more similar endeavors will be moving forward in 2021 thanks to another $750,000 in grant funding secured by the district.

Awards from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets will be going to six applications to the Climate Resilient Farming program and one to the Agricultural Non-point Source Abatement and Control program.

“We will continue to be busy for the foreseeable few years with just those projects alone,” he said, noting that payments took longer to arrive due to COVID-19. “We didn’t get some of the (funding) hits we were bracing ourselves for.”

On the municipal side, Mudrzynski said the district’s primary function over the past year was to hydroseed for town and village highway departments to facilitate vegetative growth.

“If they clean their road ditch – opening it up – one of the things that we don’t like to see … is a bare ditch at the bottom, the brown soil,” he said. “When water goes through there, it can really cause erosion in the road ditch, which is not good from an infrastructure standpoint. And we don’t like seeing that because the water is carrying the dirt down to a receiving body of water somewhere.”

GCSWCD employees seeded and stabilized 1.2 acres of soil disturbed during the construction of the new Genesee County Sheriff’s Office communication tower in East Bethany, he said.

Mudrzynski said the district has another “pretty good sized” forested riparian buffer project, planting more than 1,000 trees along a stream bank at a local nonprofit conservation club.

He said the agency had to cancel the Genesee County Envirothon, a two-part scholastic competition, for the second straight year but hopes to offer it again starting in 2022.

“Remaining duties, including agricultural environmental management, tree and shrub program, and the fish stocking program, are continuing this year and we expect them to be strong in the coming years,” he said.

The district employs five full-time staffers.

Per its website, the mission of the GCWWCD is to work directly with county landowners to provide for the conservation of soil and water resources, improvement of water quality, and prevention of floodwater and sediment damages, thereby protecting the natural resource base and promoting health, safety, and general welfare of the county residents. For more information, click here.