A $26.8-million plan for a wide range of improvements and upgrades within the Batavia City Schools is moving to the next phase of the approval process after getting a funding guarantee from the state and unanimous approval of the school board.

The next phase, a public hearing followed by a vote of district residents in March.

The public hearing will be at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the high school. The public vote will be Thursday, March 2.

The district will use $7.5 million saved in the capital reserve fund and the balance of the expenditure will be covered by the state.

This funding plan, said Scott Rozanski, business administrator, will mean the district can complete a number of projects without a local tax increase specifically for this project.

Rozanski compared the project to something a homeowner needs to do periodically, basic maintenance, replacing old and worn out parts of the house and making general improvements.

"It allows us to move into the 21st century in a lot of different ways," Rozanski said. "There will be technology upgrades and we can take care of our facilities for the long run. There are some things that need fixing and some things that needed fixing after our consolidation in 2012. After living in it for four or five years, things fit but they could be a better fit."

All of the schools will get fixes specific to those locations.

Batavia Middle School (floor plan above) will receive:

• a renovated building entrance and improved entrance security;
• expanded music area;
• upgraded finish on gym floor, stairway halls, auditorium and classrooms;
• improved indoor air quality;
• upgraded lighting and PA system;
• replacement of roof areas.

Batavia High School:

• auditorium upgrades, including lighting and sound system and improved orchestra pit;
• upgraded fire alarm system;
• expanded restrooms;
• roof replacements;
• improved parent drop-off configuration.

Jackson School:

• upgrade finishes in classroom;
• expanded restrooms;
• upgraded lighting system;
• exterior window replacements.

John Kennedy School:

• classroom addition;
• reconfigure interior spaces;
• window replacements, roof repairs;
• upgraded lighting system;
• improved parent drop-off;
• improved sound system.

Upgrades to Richmond Memorial Library, including ventilations and the fire alarm system, are also part of the scope of work.

A big part of the project is a proposal to demo the current Van Detta Stadium and reconfigure the location of the stadium (still to be called Van Detta) and Woodward Field.

Woodward Field would get artificial turf and the surrounding track would become an improved synthetic material. 

Without this rebuild, Rozanski said, the 70-year-old Van Detta will become a bigger and bigger money pit. The current estimated costs of repairs and upgrades to improve accessibility and safety are nearly as costly as what the district is proposing now.

An improved, all-purpose facility will also help Batavia become a destination location, being halfway between Rochester and Buffalo, for regional sports competitions.

Even now, he said, the district gets requests to host events but can't because they conflict the the high school's own use of the facilities.

"We could keep repairing it or we could fix it permanently for 30 or 40 years and have very little maintenance expense," Rozanski said. "(Given the location) we should be able to draw a lot of different activities and that should benefit all businesses in the community. We should have increased (numbers of) people coming into the area to hotels, restaurants, retail and whatever other types of business. That will have a long-term positive impact on the community."

Genesee Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse will receive $820,000 in state money for an opioid treatment program. The money will fund 150 treatment slots.

Press release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced more than $8.1 million awarded to eight addiction treatment providers in seven counties across New York State. Funding will support construction needs and operational assistance for treatment programming, and the development of up to 80 new residential treatment beds and 600 new Opioid Treatment Program slots. These awards build on the Governor’s aggressive efforts to combat opioid misuse and heroin use, and the disease of addiction. 

“This administration continues the fight against opioid and heroin addiction and this funding will help ensure more New Yorkers will get the help they need to get on the road to recovery," Governor Cuomo said. “These new beds will help change lives and save lives, and bring us one step closer to a stronger and healthier New York for all." 

"Governor Cuomo is leading the charge to combat the devastating heroin and opioid crisis affecting families all across New York State. That includes ensuring immediate access to the supports and services needed for a successful recovery,” said Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul, co-chair of the Governor's task force to combat heroin and opioid addiction. “This is about saving people’s lives and these new treatment opportunities will provide even more people with the critical services they need to overcome addiction.”

Press release:

The New York State Senate has passed legislation (S365) to enact into law a permanent cap on state spending. The bill would further increase savings from a self-imposed restraint that has already saved taxpayers a cumulative $31 billion since the 2010-11 budget. Senator Ranzenhofer voted in favor of the proposal.

“A state spending cap ensures fiscal discipline and saves taxpayers billions of dollars,” Ranzenhofer said. “Enacting a long-lasting limit on state expenditures would allow taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned dollars.”

Since 2010, six on-time budgets have restricted spending growth at or below 2 percent. Maintaining this level of fiscal responsibility has fostered major investments in education by abolishing the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) budget cuts, infrastructure projects by delivering Upstate’s fair share of state transportation dollars, and economic development projects to create jobs. 

The legislation would control spending to a three-year rolling average of inflation and increase the maximum capacity to the state’s rainy day fund. This approach helps end the historic pattern of “boom and bust” cycle budgeting.

The bill will be sent to the State Assembly.

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at Route 33 and West Bergen Road, Bergen. A person was briefly trapped inside and is now out. The engine was on fire. Bergen fire and Mercy medics are on scene. 

Nearby, a fender-bender is reported at Old State Road and Route 33 in Bergen.

UPDATE 3:25 p.m.: This was a T-bone collision between a station wagon and a sedan, both newer models. Both sustained heavy damage. Each driver, one male and one female, was taken by ground ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital, according to Bergen Fire Chief Garrett Dean. The State Police crash reconstruction unit is being brought in. A vehicle owned by Genesee Lumber happened by at the time of the accident and its occupants helped out by using its forklift to maneuver the station wagon, tilting it, thereby allowing the Genesee Lumber workers to help extricate the female driver before firefighters arrived. The woman was slightly disoriented and told first responders she had a passenger, which turned out not to be true, but the forklift was used to raise the station wagon off the ground to make sure no one was trapped underneath. The male driver of the sedan also required extrication.

UPDATE: The accident involved an 18-year-old woman from Rochester and a 74-year-old man from Batavia. Both suffered significant injuries and though not believed life-threatening, State Police are not yet releasing their names. The female driver is suspected of failing to yield the right of way when entering Route 33. 

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Wednesday night the Batavia Blue Devils Boys Varsity Basketball (7-3) played a home game against the Canandaigua Braves (8-6). There was a lot of hustle from both teams early on in the game.

Canandaigua did a good job of moving the ball around on offense to create shooting opportunities by getting a man wide open for a two- or three-point jumper. Canandaigua led most of the first because of this ball movement on their offense. The game was tied at 10-10 at the end of one.

Going into the second quarter, Batavia’s defense started to figure out Canandaigua offense and made the time of possession a little more even, causing some turnovers on defense. At the half Batavia led 22-20.

The third quarter looked like a different game. Batavia’s defense continued to stop Canandaigua and their offense turned red hot. Half way through the third Batavia led by 10. At the end of three Batavia led 47 to 30. Batavia’s Naz Pratt #2, put the exclamation point on the quarter by hitting a nothing but net, at the buzzer, three-pointer from the other side of the court, he was almost in another ZIP code. It was a spectacular shot.

Batavia never lost control of the game in the fourth, but Canandaigua rallied a bit and put the pressure on slowly climbing out of their 17-point deficit to come within three points. Both teams increased their intensity for a hard played last few minutes with Batavia triumphing. Final score, Batavia 55 Canandaigua 49. Batavia’s double-digit scorers were Tee Sean Ayala with 20 and Antwon Odom with 12.

The Le Roy Boys Basketball Team had a tough assignment Wednesday night, traveling to Perry to play the undefeated Perry Yellowjackets, the #1 ranked Class C team in the state.

Perry combines size, speed, chemistry and scoring and though the Knights put up a fight, they were simply outmatched.

The Yellowjackets won 64-50, outscoring Le Roy in every quarter and holding the Knights to 12 or fewer points each quarter except the third, when Le Roy picked up 17 points (Perry scored 20).

Josh Laurie led Le Roy scoring with 18 points, hitting two three-point jumpers. Luke Stella had 16 points. Ryan Boyce and T.Y. Williams each had six.

For Perry, Tyler Cowie had 15 points, including two three-point buckets, Devon Mann, 14, and Austin Croll had 14. Owen Spencer added 10.

Press release:

The Genesee County Department of Planning will present and gather comments on the latest draft revisions to the Smart Growth Plan as part of its 2016 triennial review.

The meeting will take place ar 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, in the Oakfield Community and Government Center, 3219 Drake Street Road, Oakfield.

The meeting will focus on the modifications being recommended to the County Legislature by the Planning Department, County Planning Board, County Agricultural & Farmland Protection Board, and County Water Resources Agency for the Development Area Boundaries in the towns of Alabama and Oakfield.

For individuals with disabilities, requests for reasonable accommodations should be made with at least five days notice. Call the Genesee County Planning Department at (585) 815-7901 or email at Felipe.Oltramari@co.genesee.ny.us.

Press release:

Genesee County Youth Court swore in the Class of 2016 members on Tuesday, Jan. 10 at the Old Courthouse, Batavia. The oath and charge of confidentiality were administered by the honorable Judge Adams. The new youth court members are: Taylor Augello, Leah Bezon, Catherine Grossman, Nathan Knickerbocker, Michal Lullo, Ryan Manges, David Russo, Taya Townley, Shawn Turner, Mary Vandenbosch and Lakin Woodward. The Youth Court is run by the Genesee County Youth Bureau and funded through Department of Social Services.

Members of the Elba Lancers Girls Basketball teams, varsity and JV, wore T-shirts at their games Tuesday night in Attica to honor Jordyn M. Augello.

Augello, 30, died of cancer Monday just months after giving birth while going through cancer treatment. She coached many of the girls as a youth coach as they came up through the Elba program in fifth and sixth grade.

She is the daughter of Mark Torrey and was a partner in Torrey Farms. She leaves behind a husband, Charles Augello, and children Carmine Frank and Frances Mary. She was a 2009 graduate of Cornell University.

For her full obituary, click here.

Team photos courtesy Tom Redband.

Press release:

“Gov. Cuomo’s theatrical and unnecessary State of the State Tour is an abuse of taxpayer money and alienates us as legislators, who will be ultimately responsible for vetting and voting on important legislation. It is shameful for the governor to ignore the Legislature and plan these speeches on session days due to a pay raise battle with members of the Assembly Majority, demeaning all legislators in the process.

“Nearly 200,000 residents have left New York for more tax-friendly states in the past year and a half, and that is embarrassing. Still, Gov. Cuomo’s State of the State speeches so far have done virtually nothing to address our outrageous tax burden, failing infrastructure and struggling small-business community. Clearly, Gov. Cuomo cares more about his 2020 presidential ambitions than his own constituents.”

Press release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has been appointed to serve as chairman of the Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee and member of seven additional Senate Standing Committees, including:

• Agriculture
• Education
• Finance 
• Judiciary
• Racing, Gaming & Wagering
• Rules
• Transportation

“The process of enacting laws starts at the committee level, and serving in each one of these committee posts is so important to achieving key priorities,” Ranzenhofer said. “Whether it is delivering our fair share of state education dollars or bringing ride-sharing services to Upstate New York, I plan to take full advantage of committee roles as a way to make a real difference for Western New Yorkers.”

Senator Ranzenhofer is beginning a fourth session as Corporations Committee chairman.

“As chair, I have advanced legislation that positively impacts municipalities, state and local agencies, state authorities and commissions, and private entities across the state. A total of 18 new laws, reported from the Committee, were enacted last year that will make New York a better place to live and work. This year, the goal is to build upon this momentum,” Ranzenhofer said.

Senator Ranzenhofer is also a member of the Select Committee for Science, Technology, Incubation & Entrepreneurship.  

The committee assignments are for the 2017-18 Legislative Session. A complete list of Senate standing committees is available at nysenate.gov.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) have introduced the Family Farm Relief Act of 2017, legislation to move the H-2A Agricultural Visa program from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture to better meet the unique labor needs of farmers and agricultural businesses.

“The last thing our farmers need is for the federal government to make it harder for them to make ends meet,” Congressman Collins said. “Access to a willing and available labor force is absolutely critical for Western New York’s agriculture community, particularly our dairy farmers. I am proud to join my colleague Congresswoman Stefanik in introducing this common-sense legislation to streamline and improve the H-2A visa program.”

“Agriculture is the backbone of our North Country economy and I am pleased to introduce this important bill to address the labor shortages facing our farmers,” Congresswoman Stefanik said. “When I travel the district speaking with our farmers, I often hear about how unnecessary delays in worker visas lead to difficulty meeting production goals. This common-sense legislation simply puts the H-2A agricultural visa program in the hands of those who best understand the specific needs of our farms.”

“Immigration reform that allows for both seasonal and year-round farm labor has been a longtime priority for New York Farm Bureau. For too long, the federal H2A guest visa program has been cumbersome, prone to delays and too rigid to fit the needs of both farmers and their employees. We thank Congresswoman Stefanik for taking the lead on The Family Farm Relief Act that will provide real reform and address a critical issue in New York's diverse agricultural community,” said David Fisher, New York Farm Bureau president.

The Family Farm Relief Act of 2017 takes practical measures such as allowing visa applicants to fill out H-2A applications on paper or online, requiring a user-friendly online system, and ending burdensome requirements on advertising and prevailing practice surveys.

The current H-2A visa program is unworkable, especially for the dairy farms across our nation. The H-2A visa program does not currently provide a category for year-round livestock workers, including dairy. This has caused difficulties for dairy farms that need employees year-round. This legislation addresses this oversight, by creating an H-2A category for these workers.

Additionally, the legislation also allows farm cooperatives and other agricultural associations to apply for workers for their members, makes the program more workable for dairy and other livestock operations, and requires reporting to Congress if delays occur in the H-2A visa application process.

Bradley J. Broadbent, 37, was found guilty of one count each of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree.

Earlier this year, Broadbent was indicted on drug charges in Genesee County and is still facing prosecution locally.

In 2012, Broadbent made the news following a series of bizarre incidents related to bath salt use, including vandalizing the restroom of a business complex and climbing on the roofs of houses on Hutchins Street. He eventually served a jail term on charges stemming from those incidents.

Broadbent was picked up in Wyoming County by the Drug Task Force.

The June arrest was the result of a Jan. 14 possession and sale of 13 bags of heroin laced with the horse tranquilizer Xylazine. The sale was made to a confidential informant in the Village of Perry.

Also in June, Broadbent was arrested by the Genesee County Local Drug Enforcement Task Force on charges stemming from an April 24 incident in the Genesee County Jail. 

Broadbent allegedly smuggled heroin into the jail where he then was accused of selling a portion of the drug to Ryan M. Bobzin, 27, of Bergen. Both men were in jail at the same time on unrelated charges.

In December, he was indicted on those charges – criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony; and promoting prison contraband in the first degree, a Class D felony. 

Following yesterday's verdict, Broadbent was jailed without bail in the Wyoming County Jail. 

“Today’s convictions represent just one small measure of District Attorney Donald O’Geen’s resolute and concentrated efforts to combat the scourge of heroin and other opioids in Wyoming County,” said Wyoming County Assistant District Attorney Eric Schiener added, “Thanks to the commitment and dedication of both the Drug Task Force and District Attorney O’Geen, there is now one less purveyor of this poison on the streets of Perry.”

Due to his “significant” criminal history, both of these Class B felony convictions could potentially result in a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and three years post release supervision for Broadbent. 

Sentencing in Wyoming County is scheduled for Feb. 23.

Julia Ferrini, Wyoming County Free Press, contributed to this story.

Le Roy's Maddie Kiester sunk two key foul shots and Bryn Luckey hit the game winner at the end to give the Lady Knights a narrow victory over the Perry Yellowjackets in Le Roy last night, 49-47.

Luckey scored 13 points. Erin Cappotelli had nine, Ceci Tillson, eight along with 14 rebounds, and Ava Horgan added six.

For Perry, Rachel Evans had 18 points, Chelsea Pascoe, 11, and Diana Chisholm, 10.

Le Roy is now 5-5 on the year and Perry is 2-7.

Dispatchers and first responders have been kept busy overnight and into the morning with reports of power lines down and cars off the roadway as a windstorm hit Genesee County with gusts up to 60 mph and temperatures below freezing.

No serious incidents were reported.

Currently, there are at least 17 known power outages across the county, affecting some 300 National Grid customers. The two largest appear to be in Byron with 171 customers without power and North Bergen with 57 customers without power.

There were two jackknifed trucks on the I-490, including one incident still ongoing with no injuries but a fuel leak is reported.

Windstorms and false alarms of fire at commercial structures seem to go hand-in-hand and at one point around 2 a.m., City of Batavia had three such simultaneous calls.

A one-vehicle rollover accident is reported near the onramp on the westbound I-490 in Bergen. 

Unknown injuries  

Bergen fire and ambulance and Mercy EMS responding. 

A first responder reports slippery road conditions. 

UPDATE 9:18 p.m.: A vehicle is in a ditch. There is apparently a second vehicle. A caller reports minor injuries. 

Someone stole a chair and "a wet floor sign" from a business on West Main Street about 15 minutes ago. They have video. Batavia police are responding to the reported larceny.

Genesee Community College has appointed its next dean of Student Services, a familiar face with years of experience working with students, faculty and staff, and service to the College. Patricia "Patty" Chaya emerged as the top choice from a lengthy search of many qualified candidates, and will assume the responsibilities of dean of students, transitioning from her previous role of associate dean of the GCC Warsaw and Lima campus centers.

Chaya joined the College in 2002 as associate dean of the Warsaw campus, and inherited the same role with the Lima campus in 2012. Handling multiple duties, she was charged with leading, directing, team building and administrative oversight for all operations at both campus centers. In 2013, Chaya was awarded the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service, an award given to recognize consistent superior professional achievement.

"Her familiarity with the GCC community and experience working with our students will make her an invaluable asset to our team," said Virginia "Ginny" Taylor, Ph.D., vice president for Student and Enrollment Services. "We are excited for the students, faculty and staff at the Batavia campus to begin working with Patty, whose passion for helping others has always been evident."

Chaya holds a bachelor's in Sociology from SUNY Fredonia and a master's in Student Personnel Administration from the University at Buffalo. She was a resident assistant while attending SUNY Fredonia and became residence hall director after earning her bachelor's degree.

"I am thrilled for the opportunity to take on a new professional challenge," Chaya said. "There is great potential with the dean of Student Services position, and new initiatives are important for moving forward. Not only do I hope to cultivate new programs such as those relating to wellness, but I plan on expanding the delivery and availability of these programs using our current technology, making them more accessible for our students."

Prior to working at GCC, Patty was the associate director at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, and also worked for the Genesee County YWCA as the director of the Domestic Violence Program. She is heavily involved in the GLOW community, serving as the vice president of the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Business Education Alliance (BEA) Board of Directors in Livingston County.

"I live in the community and am familiar with local issues," Chaya explained. "I have a strong commitment to GCC and am confident I can be a strong ambassador for the College."

As the dean of student services, Chaya will work closely with College administration to enhance its current leadership program and expanding innovative student development programs. Among numerous other areas, she will focus on student retention and degree completion, as well as handling student conduct and discipline.

Chaya officially began her new role on Jan. 3rd. Patty and husband, Ray, a former GCC BEST Center staff member, currently reside in Batavia.