A two-car accident is blocking traffic on West Main Street, Batavia, in front of Olivers.

Unknown injuries.

City Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

Press Release:

LeRoy Ambulance continues to fundraise for a new ambulance, and to date we have raised a total of $28,274. We continue to accept donations, and are planning several fundraisers for 2023 that will be announced at a later date. 

We have also continued the process of designing our new ambulance and obtaining quotes from multiple vendors, and while many details remain undecided, we do have several details to provide. The new ambulance will be a type III design, which means that it will be a box on a van chassis. The chassis will either be a Ford E Series or Chevrolet G Series, depending on availability/price at the time we place the order.

In order to minimize the cost, we will be transferring over the stretcher and most other equipment from our old ambulance instead of purchasing new. The anticipated cost for the new ambulance is currently in the neighborhood of $182,000, but we have been advised that this is likely to increase as costs continue to rise. We are exploring multiple grant and financing options, and will release further information as it becomes available. Lead time on a new ambulance currently varies from 6-18 months depending on options chosen and availability at the time of order. 

The 2016 Mercedes Sprinter ambulance that this project intends to replace continues to have reliability issues, and recently spent 9 weeks out of service at the dealership due to issues with the diesel exhaust system. It has since been repaired and is back in service, though it just rolled over 100,000 miles this week, meaning that this project is of utmost importance to our continued operation. 

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has donated to this effort, your continued support is greatly appreciated and truly helps us to serve the community. We continue to collect donations for this cause, and you can donate at www.leroyems.org, or by mailing a check to LeRoy Ambulance Service, P.O. Box 56 LeRoy NY 14482. LeRoy Ambulance is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible. 

 

For any new journalist not familiar with Jim Owen, he quickly became ‘that guy who showed up again’ to local events, and became a beloved and indelible character amongst local media and citizens alike — dubbed the Mayor of Redfield Parkway for his advocacy and presence on that westside city street — and was a knowledgeable and popular fixture of Batavia and even during his brief stay at Crossroads House, where his rest was often sprinkled with phone calls and visits from friends, students, school staff, musicians and his cat Rosie.

His investments were large — from providing buckets of history about the city and school district, its buildings and bells and notables, to celebrating and helping to fund upkeep of the newly named Frank E. Owen High School Auditorium for his father’s contributions to the early beginnings of the music program, and filling a portion of GO ART! with local memorabilia — Jim Owen was practically a household name for many.

After a months-long, hard fought battle with cancer, the former and formidable teacher, coach, advocate, supporter, neighbor, historian, friend and smiling face at so many city events, Jim, 79, succumbed to the ill effects on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.

Just take a look at his Facebook page, and one can get a glimpse at the love and admiration he drew from the community. And just as a tree’s roots draw water into the soil and strengthens its foundation — so too has the community been shored up by what it has drawn from the likable Jim Owen.

There were many lucky ones who got to know the Mayor more deeply, including longtime Redfield neighbors Rich and Linda Conroy. Friends, yes, but more so, they became family over the years, Linda said. Jim would come over for holiday gatherings, and they exchanged a lot of inner circle stories and jokes, she said.

“Jim liked to tell the story about how he lived with three women in Sackett’s Harbor when he was a young man right out of college,” Linda said. “Of course, he then would explain that the women were elderly, and he was just renting a room!”

As most people grew to know Jim’s sense of humor and quick wit, they would hear his quips, such as when he told Linda that he was paid weekly. “Very weakly,” he’d joke.

“Also, he liked to tell us about how long of a commute it was for him when he was visiting our house across the street,” she said. “‘You gotta have a little sense of humor,’ he would often say.” 

One of her all-time favorite memories is when he attended her daughter’s graduation party when he was a substitute teacher at the city school district in 2006. All of her daughter's friends were “fascinated” that Mr. Owen was the Conroy’s neighbor.

“The kids kept saying how ‘cool’ it was,” Linda said.

Of course, not to leave his beloved late sister Kathy out of the picture, there was an old photo posted online taken 50 years earlier that tagged Jim, and some ladies had replied how handsome he was, which seemed to bother his sibling. One had even commented about what a “hottie” Jim was, to which he couldn’t stop talking and smiling, “which annoyed his sister even more,” Linda said.

Perhaps one of his biggest claims to fame was having taught the current state Governor Kathy Hochul in typing class as a teacher in Hamburg. Hochul, while a member of Congress, visited Batavia and attended a Muckdogs game with Jim, and more recently reached out to him with encouraging words by phone and through email.

"Jim Owen had a profound impact on me, my siblings and countless others as a teacher and coach at Hamburg Central Schools. Always upbeat and encouraging, I was proud to call him a friend later in life, and I will always remember our conversations, including earlier this fall and shortly before he passed,” Hochul said. “I am thankful to have known Mr. Owen, and I send my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew him - he will be dearly missed."

Jim was also friends with state Assemblyman Steve Hawley, who first met him as a senior summer parks program counselor. Jim coordinated all of the kids coming to Hawley’s farm to build a float on one of the hay wagons for the summer parks parade.

“He liked to talk about that often,” Hawley said. “His Father, Frank Owen, was the music director when I was in Batavia High Choristers. He and his sister Kathy were insurance clients of mine, and Jim bought new vehicles often and was always reminding me that he wanted the best prices possible because, as a retired school teacher, he was on a fixed income.”

Hawley was also aware of Owen’s mayor title, due in large part to his work to get stone pillars at Redfield and Main Street refurbished.

“He was very interested in young people, history and politics. Although a fairly conservative-minded individual, he was always supportive of his former student at Hamburg High School, Kathleen (Courtney) Hochul, when she became Congresswoman, Lieutenant Governor and eventually Governor,” Hawley said. “As Jim’s health declined recently, a friend called me and wondered if I could get word to the governor that Jim’s time was dwindling and his spirits would be buoyed if she could call him ‘one last time.’ I had a very down-to-earth and reminiscing talk with him, and he mentioned that his former student ‘Kathy’ had called and how much he appreciated it. He seemed at peace.”

Jim was as consistent as he was gregarious. Always ready with a word or two in exchange for a greeting, he often liked to share special moments in his memory: when he taught Gov. Kathy Hochul in high school typing class, met up with a bunch of students for a chat, golfed with R. Stephen Hawley Sr., the current state assemblyman’s father, and even how he gave “that scoop” to a reporter. He seemed to love sharing those memories with the people who knew them best, as he also peppered his days with offering nuggets of information, history, and knowledge that he wanted to impart.

Batavia Middle School teacher Sarah Gahagan knows well of Jim’s giving spirit. In fact, she learned more interesting tidbits from him than from anyone else in the world, she said. And, “oddly enough,” they weren’t always in the form of an actual conversation.

“On many occasions, I would walk in my classroom and find a large manilla envelope lying on my keyboard. I immediately knew who it was from and couldn't wait to rip it open and see the next topic I would be learning about,” Gahagan said. “Packets of information on various topics — ranging from the history of Barbie dolls to the origins of my son's name, Grant. Jim was insistent I learned everything possible about Ulysses S. Grant. Jim enjoyed researching, highlighting the key points and even leaving little notes in the margin for me. 

“I LOVED finding these envelopes. They made my day. I hung up a picture he printed for me on my bulletin board — never thinking he'd notice — literally the next time he saw me, he commented on it. To this day, I have no clue how he knew it was there,” she said.

She learned a lot about the mysterious bell that Jim kept talking about and wanted desperately to uncover and bring out for all to enjoy. He kept on about it for quite some time.

“Well, it didn’t happen quickly,” Gahagan said. “He would laugh and joke and mentioned it quite a bit. And I mean quite a bit. Again, persistent to get someone to listen. Well, low and behold, they did, and this was a great day. I loved seeing this mission of his come to fruition.”

And in turn, Jim supported every endeavor that she pursued. He would hang out at the middle school, give fist bumps and tell stories and corny jokes that made even the toughest kids crack a smile, she said.

"He was a genuine person who truly cared for the kids. He took time to make those personal connections that sometimes fall to the wayside,” Gahagan said. “Watching Jim's interactions was always a pleasant experience. Jim treated everyone with kindness and received the same respect back in return.  The students truly enjoyed engaging with him.  Jim was always himself: caring, engaging, friendly, and a true friend to all; it's a trait I always admired in him. He had some clutch lines that were a staple before breaks and holidays, and although predictable in nature, oddly enough, they never got old.” 

It didn’t seem to matter, whether it was students, teachers or administrators, Jim got along with them all. Superintendent Jason Smith posted a message online for the city school district community, and a concert was performed in memory of Jim on Thursday. Smith also shared some thoughts with The Batavian about Jim, who he believed to be “a class act and a man of high character, dignity, and humility, and coupled with a razor-sharp sense of humor and compassion for others — he is an educator’s educator.”

“I first came to know Jim as a family friend at Horseshoe Lake many years ago, and then while in college, I worked for Jim as his lifeguard. He was always proud that I was ‘his’ lifeguard, and he and I would always joke about that—and Jim—with classic Jim humor—would credit himself for my success,” Smith said. “When my children had him in school as a sub—and they loved having him as a sub like all the other Batavia students—he would always be sure to share with them our lifeguarding story.

Smith said, as have so many others, that Jim has been so “truly beloved” by the Batavia district. Smith saw that firsthand during the Frank E. Owen Auditorium dedication last summer.

“I saw that loud and clear when he was swarmed by students,” Smith said. “It was such a heartfelt and genuine moment between a teacher and his students -- something I will never forget. Jim was so proud when the district named the auditorium after his father, and in his true, humble nature, he was quick to credit all those music teachers that came after his father for the success of music at BCSD.

“He gently prodded us to push forward with restoring the bells at the Middle School, and I know how thrilled he was with that project,” Smith said.

District Clerk Britt Witkop got to know Jim when passing him in the hallway or when spending a few minutes talking history with him, she said. He was a “solid dedicated part of the Batavia community and our school district” as a substitute for many years, and truly loved being part of the school system and enjoyed the students, she said.

“He always said that as a substitute, he did his best to keep the class aligned while the teacher was out, and to be a role model to the kids as well as listening and learning from them. He often said the kids taught him a lot about technology, and I could tell he appreciated that because he loved to learn,” Witkop said. “He had a strong sense of honor towards his parents, something we don't always see, which I felt was an admirable quality about him. Over the years, I got to see Mr. Owen more often, and we would talk whenever he came to sub at the high school. I enjoyed my time with him and learned a lot. When you got to know Mr. Owen, you could tell he was a hard worker and genuine person.”

When Jim became sick last year and visits decreased, there was a palpable emptiness that was felt at the district, she said, as “all of us had become accustomed to his presence.”

“Mr. Owen changed so many lives for the better, and I, as well as many others, will truly miss him. I feel lucky to have had him in my life,” she said. He was loved by more people than I think he could have ever imagined. Rest in Peace, my friend.” 

Probably even Jim would be ready for a chuckle right about now. How about it, teacher Allison Chua? Jim liked to tell a weekly joke: since he has been so good, he suggested that she was going to give him the next two days off. A joke he always told on Fridays, Chua said.

That’s how Jim was, she said: lively, positive and engaging. During visits to see Jim in December, she unabashedly shared that “we love Jim” and “our children love Jim,” and explained why.

“I feel honored to be asked to write a message about Jim Owen. I admire him for all that he means to BCSD and to our town. Jim always shows love for the people around him. When Jim would sub here, he would make a point to stop by rooms, peek in, and check in ‘Hey, how are you doing? You are looking great today!’ He made jokes with the kids and taught us all lessons about Batavia and life in general,” Chua said at the time. “He loved music, and (me) being a mom of music kids, he was the first to compliment both my sons on their performances and talents, acknowledging the amazing music teachers here at BHS. He came to the productions and made every kid feel like the star.”

Her son Aden, who is quiet and reserved, loved talking to Jim, who would first ask, “how are you, young man?” turning to his mom and asking, “who is this, your sister?”

“I would laugh, and I would say big age gap,” she said. “Jim showed this community what Batavia meant to him and his family. His pride makes us all a little more proud. I am so glad my children have memories with Jim Owen.  Jim's heart was open, and his love for this community is an inspiration. He makes me want to ‘Be Like Jim.’ The support that surrounds him is a testimony of a life well lived and a man well loved.” 

The love of the arts went well beyond music in the Owen household.  His sister, who passed away in 2019,  was an accomplished photographer.  Natalie Owen, his mother, was president of the Richmond Memorial Library Board of Trustees.  Robert Owen, his brother, was an author and actor.

Owen leaned heavily into athletics and admitted he had no artistic ability himself but he was always a firm supporter of the arts.

Based on his support of GO ART!, the nonprofit arts facility hosted an exhibit of Kathy’s photography in 2019, and in 2021, the room that had held the exhibit was dedicated as the Owen Library in honor of Frank Owen and Kathy Owen, complete with a white baby grand piano and a collection of art books.

Gregory Hallock, executive director of GO ART!, said he first met Jim Owen in 2017 during “small business Saturday.”

Jim stopped in to buy some art, “and of course, he haggled us down on their prices," Hallock said. “I helped him carry the pieces out to his car, and he said, ‘Let me be the first Mayor to wish you a Merry Christmas’ and gave me a box of chocolates."

Hallock and Owen grew close while working together to make the Owen Library a reality, and Owen shared something with Hallock that he rarely talked about in public: He was adopted by Frank and Natalie.

“Jim loved all children, and they all loved him back," Hallock said. “But he had a special connection with my children. He told them that he was just like them. He was chosen. My children are my everything, and he is right, they were chosen. I do not walk around saying they are my adopted children. They are my children, plain and simple. Jim and his siblings were chosen as well. This is not something he told most people, and I feel so incredibly humbled that he felt comfortable sharing this with my kids and me. My children loved him. I loved him.”

Batavia is a city of characters, and Jim Owen was one of its most distinctive and memorable characters, author and screenwriter Bill Kauffman said.

He was only nine when Jim was supervisor of MacArthur Park and coach of Kauffman’s Midgets baseball team.  That forged a relationship and opportunity to see Jim Owen’s passions.

“Jim loved Batavia. He loved everything about it. He loved its history. He loved Redfield Parkway. He loved the city schools,” Kauffman said. “Although he liked to joke about how tight he was with the dollar, Jim was generous with his time, his energy, his attention, and his overflowing affection for his hometown.”

Howard Owens, publisher of The Batavian and, in one of Jim's enduring jokes, Jim’s "older brother" (Owens was born in 1961, the year Owen graduated from BHS), was visiting Jim at UMMC, and it was right after Gov. Kathy Hochul and her brothers had called him along with some of their classmates he coached while teaching in Hamburg.

“He is very proud of both his connection to Batavia and Hamburg,” Owens said.  “He said, ‘I have dual citizenship. I'm a citizen of Hamburg and a citizen of Batavia.’”

Former newspaper Managing Editor Mark Graczyk had conducted a Q&A interview with Jim about 15 years ago and recalls how “very gracious” his interviewee was.

“He showed me his extensive baseball card collection and shared memories of when his father Frank, who was music director at Batavia High School,  was able to bring the march king John Philip Sousa to the high school in the 1920s,” Graczyk said. “Jim also shared Backward Glance's historical photos with the paper and helped me with some of the stories I wrote for my Hidden History blog. Sometimes he would stop in the office to offer story ideas or just to shoot the breeze. He was always friendly and encouraging. A great guy and much loved in the Batavia community.”

Don’t be surprised if, at some point in the warmer future, the city school district has a frozen treat day. But not just any frozen treat, and not just any colored frozen treat. It will be an orange popsicle day in memory of Jim if it happens. Gahagan only learned of this ritual while spending more recent time at Crossroads House, she said.

Not typically encountering a grumpy Jim Owen, she discovered that he could get rather feisty over a few particular things — orange popsicles being one of them. He would have the treat to help mask the bad taste of his medicine.

One of the kind nurses said Ok, Jim, red or purple today?  ORANGE, he said firmly. She laughed and said, you already finished the orange, I checked.  Red or purple?” Gahagan said. “ORANGE he said again. He ended up with red that night, but I made sure I bought two boxes and delivered them in the morning, and told them the orange are for Jim and anyone else can have the rest.”

She has suggested to the superintendent that “an orange popsicle day in honor of Jim would be nice.”

This reporter is going to break from my role for a moment to share how glad I am to have spent some time with Jim on a recent visit to Crossroads House. He was a bit tired but wanted to engage, ask questions, talk, and listen as I read items from around his room and shared about the blizzard that hit the county.

As I was about to leave, he firmly held my hand and asked if I could stay a little longer. Yes, Jim, I can stay. I’m not so sure it was anything about me personally as it was about his need to be with people. That was the Jim Owen I’ve known since the day we met. And there wasn’t a time that we spoke that he didn’t remind me about giving me a little scoop for a story, and eventually admitting that it got him in some hot water. But, he said, it was the right thing to do.

And there you have it, two principles of Jim that I believe so many people grew to admire: his love of people and his kind ways of wanting to do the right thing. He will be remembered. He will be missed. And he will leave a mark on the City of Batavia and the hearts of its citizens. Good night Jim, may you be in peace.

Top Photo of Jim Owen with his proclamation from City Council deeming him as Mayor of Redfield Parkway, with his cat Rosei during a visit to Crossroads House, with Linda Conroy, wearing his Thanksgiving hat, with his sister Kathy, and another favorite Kathy, Gov. Kathy Hochul, accepting the Mayor proclamation from City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr., with the late Stephen Hawley Sr., who he apparently reminded at the 18th hole that they were tied because Hawley had "forgotten" a few strokes; with teacher Sarah Gahagan, at the new Frank E. Owen auditorium sign with students and Superintendent Jason Smith and Principal Paul Kesler; getting a visit from Aden Chua, at GO ART!, with Sarah Gahagan at a sporting event, with Kathy Hochul at a Muckdogs game; and in his neighborhood. Photos are by Joanne Beck, Howard Owens, and submitted.

Nicholas Turnquist
2020 File Photo

Two weeks after accepting a plea offer on a rape charge, an Erie County man already serving 13 years in federal prison on related charges was sentenced in County Court today to four years in prison.

The sentence for Nicholas Turnquist, 37, will run concurrent to his federal term as well as a related four-year term out of Erie County.

Neither Assistant District Attorney Will Zickl nor the defense attorney, Joseph Lobosco, made any argument regarding a potential sentence before Judge Melissa Lightcap Cianfrini issued her ruling.

Turnquist didn't make a statement in court and the victim in the case declined to make a statement because she's spoken at previous hearings about the impact of Turnquist's crimes on her life.

A decade ago, Turnquist, who most recently lived in West Falls, reportedly engaged in sexual activity with a minor in multiple jurisdictions, including Genesee County, Wyoming County, Erie County, Pennsylvania and Canada.

He was indicted by a grand jury on counts of rape in the third degree, a Class E felony, and sexual abuse in the first degree, a Class D violent felony, in connection with a crime in Darien on Aug. 23, 2014.  He was arrested locally in 2020 following an investigation by Howard Carlson of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

The only real discussion in court today was about a request by Turnquist that Cianfrini order the Sheriff's Office to hold him in Genesee County, instead of returning him to Alleghany County until he's returned to custody in Buffalo. 

Lobosco said his client told him that he's taking several medications. When he gets transferred from one jail or prison facility to another, the administration of his medication gets disrupted, and he wants to keep taking his medication. Cianfrini said she didn't have the authority to order the Sheriff or the U.S. Marshalls on transportation and housing, but she said it was her understanding that the Marshalls were going to pick Turnquist up in Genesee County to return him to federal custody.

Cassandra Elmore

For the second-straight scheduled court appearance, and the fourth time since her arrest, Cassandra Elmore was a no-show in City Court on Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the dog she is accused of allowing to overdose on narcotics, Oddey, remains confined to the Genesee County Animal Shelter, where it has been held since June.

The 30-year-old Batavia woman did make her way to the courthouse building today but disappeared shortly after speaking with her defense attorney, Assistant Public Defender Jamie B. Welch.

A warrant will be issued for her arrest at 2 p.m. on Monday if she doesn't appear in court before then.

A similar warrant -- with a 48-hour stay -- was issued after she failed to appear on Dec. 16. There was never a press release about her arrest on the warrant, but her name did appear on the court calendar for today's appearance.

Elmore faces three counts of injuring an animal under New York Ag and Markets Law Section 353.  She reportedly took Oddey, a French Bulldog, to veterinarians with apparent drug overdoses after the dog, according to police reports, licked up white powder from the kitchen floor.

Elmore has promised that once her legal case is resolved, we will get "the real case."

A hearing on motions in the case was scheduled at her last appearance.  

Legally, Elmore still owns Oddey, and the animal shelter must care for it without putting it up for adoption unless she signs over custody of the dog to the county or the case is resolved in a manner that permits her to again take possession of the dog.

Since her initial arrest, Elmore has also been charged with criminal possession of a weapon, obstruction of governmental administration, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd. 

Previously:

• Woman charged after dog treated repeatedly for narcotics overdose
• Vet told police Oddey was showing signs of drug intoxication during emergency visit
• Elmore asks for time to hire attorney while Oddey waits at shelter
• Warrant issued for woman accused of letting dog OD after she fails to appear in court
• Law and Order: Woman charged in dog's drug overdose arrested again after traffic stop
• Woman in dog overdose case again fails to show up for court appearance
• OPINION: Due process often neglects animal victims
• Woman in dog OD case who skipped court appearances, arrested on warrant, held on bail
• Dog abuse case postponed after VFA letter received
• Woman facing charges after dog ingested narcotics says 'real case' will come out
• Owner in dog OD case willing to discuss future of her dog while criminal case is pending

• Elmore misses another court appearance while Oddey remains at shelter

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Citing reasons of double diesel fuel costs and rising supply, health care, retirement and employee wage expenses, City Manager Rachael Tabelski is calling for a move to exceed the state-regulated tax cap -- which would be the second override in three years for the city -- during this budget season.

“The 8 percent inflation the economy is facing challenges this budget, forcing the city to consider overriding the tax cap,” Tabelski said in a memo to City Council. “To balance the fiscal year 23/24 City of Batavia budget I recommend that the City Council of the City of Batavia consider overriding the tax cap.

“According to New York State’s property tax cap legislation, if a city government decides to adopt a budget with a property tax levy that exceeds the level set by the state, the city government must pass a local law to override that cap,” Tabelski said.

Tabelski is to provide a budget presentation and Council is expected to review and discuss her recommendations during its conference session next week. The session is set for 7 p.m. Monday in the Council Board Room at City Hall.

The proposed levy of $6.6 million would help to cover costs of a total $33.5 million budget and $19.4 general fund budget that includes a flat tax rate of $8.94 per $1,000 assessed value, a flat sewer rate, and a water rate increase of 30-cents, Tabelski said. The levy is raised from all real properties subject to taxation by the city based on the assessment roll for the fiscal year 2023-24.

She has also recommended a required public hearing to be set for Feb. 27.

Materials including salt, gas and electric are on the rise between 15 and 40 percent, while employee wages are at $400,000; retirements at $300,000; and health care just under half a million dollars, she said. Those are some of the rising costs imposing the need to ask for an override — unfortunately, not an unprecedented ask in city history.

Batavia City Council members voted to override the state’s 2 percent property tax cap just two years ago, passing a 7.5 percent property tax increase as part of the City’s 2020-21 budget. Part of the blame went to then Gov. Andrew Cuomo for withholding some of the video lottery terminal money from Batavia Downs revenues, though this year a similar portion was earmarked for the police department’s request for guns and equipment.

Other sections of the budget are up for discussion during future work sessions slated each for 6 p.m. on Jan. 31 for Public Works, general government and administrative departments; Feb. 7 for police and fire departments; and Feb. 9 for an as-needed session.

There is time allotted for public comments during this meeting. Speakers need to sign up prior to the start of the meeting.

File Photo of City Manager Rachael Tabelski by Howard Owens.

The Batavian has further coverage coming.

Click here to purchase tickets!

Attitudes toward substance use disorder and words that reflect those attitudes can have a tremendous effect on the recovery process of those struggling with addiction.

“Stigma is defined as a mark of disgrace and that (disgrace) is a pretty powerful word,” said Diana Padilla, a longtime behavioral health specialist who was in Genesee County on Wednesday to present a training seminar for social workers and providers at the Alexander Recreation & Banquet Facility.

Padilla, in her 90-minute “Reducing Stigma in Our Communities” presentation, provided tools for counselors to counteract the negative connotations associated with substance use and mental illness.

A research project manager at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Substance Use Disorders, Columbia University Medical Center, Padilla communicated that stigma against people with substance use disorders can create barriers to treatment, such as an increase in shame and isolation from family, friends and community, and treating those with addiction as criminals.

She bemoaned the fact that the healthcare and judicial systems have not fully recognized that substance use disorder is an illness, and that recovery is possible.

“Stigma can lead to more substance use disorder and people can lose hope,” she said. “It really becomes a vicious cycle.”

Padilla said she has seen how health insurance companies and the law continue to view substance use disorder as a “result of a moral weakness and flawed character.”

She noted that some providers blame the individual for causing the problem and will reject treatment coverage, which can lead to substandard, non-science-based care.

When it comes to mental health treatment, Padilla said statistics show that stigma prevents 40 percent of people with anxiety or depression from seeking medical help, and affects people in treatment even when their mental health problem is a distant memory.

To combat stigma, she encouraged counselors to utilize “people-first language” in their interactions with their clients:

• Speak or write the person first, then the disability, i.e., Sam is a “person with a disability,” or “Sheila is visually impaired…”
• Emphasize abilities or accomplishments, not limitations.
• When communicating about a group, “individuals with disabilities.”
• Allow and expect that individuals with disabilities will speak for themselves.
• Be careful not to idealize people who have disabilities as being brave simply because they have a disability.

In recent years, there has been a shift toward supportive and affirming language used by public health professionals, she said.

“By using the term, substance use disorder (instead of substance abuse or addiction), it meets a diagnostic criterion,” she said.

Padilla promoted “trauma-informed care” as a key component to successfully reaching someone with substance use disorder and/or mental illness.

She referred to the Adverse Childhood Experience study that reveals a direct link between traumatic experiences at an early age to subsequent alcohol and drug problems. According to the ACE study, 64 percent of adults have faced one adverse childhood experience (emotional, physical or sexual abuse) and 40 percent have faced two or more adverse childhood experiences.

“A person with four or more ACEs is five times more likely to develop substance use disorder,” she pointed out.

It is important for counselors to understand the impact of traumatic events upon their clients’ lives, Padilla said, and to adhere to the guiding principles of trauma-informed care – safety, transparency, peer support, collaboration, empowerment and cultural, historical and gender issues.

“Empowerment, giving the client a voice and a choice, can make a huge difference,” she said. “We should support those choices even when we don’t totally agree.”

In closing, Padilla shared that people are more likely to get treatment and recover when their families, friends, providers, and communities support them without judging them.

“We can choose supportive, respectful, and nonjudgmental words that treat people with respect and compassion,” she said.

The training seminar was hosted by the GOW Opioid Task Force and Genesee County Health Department and supported by the HEALing Communities initiative.

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for GCASA.

Submitted photo: The Genesee County Health Department and GOW Opioid Task Force sponsored a "Reducing Stigma in Our Communities" training on Wednesday. From left are presenter Diana Padilla, Emily Penrose and Paul Pettit of the health department, Christen Foley of the task force and Jennifer Rowan of the health department.

“Leadership matters” and that, according to the directors of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp., is why Richard Bianchi of Monroe County is continuing on as the public benefit company’s chairman of the board.

“It’s my honor and pleasure to nominate (Bianchi) as chair because leadership matters,” said Director Dennis Bassett, who represents the City of Rochester, as he wholeheartedly endorsed the Monroe County delegate for a 13^th consecutive one-year term. “He has taken us through tough times and through it all, I have learned that leadership matters.”

Bassett, speaking at this morning’s board meeting at the Park Road facility, said that Bianchi has the corporation’s “best interest at heart” while making the tough decisions and presenting a vision that has resulted in the purchase of a hotel, expanded summer concerts and providing exhibit space for public events.

“We’re experiencing our best years in OTB history and it is the direct result of the leadership of our board chair,” Bassett continued. “There has been sniping at the heels of the chair and this organization, but we have persevered.”

Director Richard Ricci (Seneca County) seconded the motion – noting that Bianchi “gives his heart and soul to this place” – before the board voted unanimously in favor of Bianchi.

That vote was followed by a unanimous vote to keep Edward Morgan (Orleans County) as the vice chair, a position the Murray resident has held for four years.

Bianchi thanked the board for its support, praising the directors’ work as well as the job done by WROTB officers, management and rank-and-file employees.

“The current board is more engaged than ever,” he said. “Let’s just keep up the great work.”

WROTB President/CEO Henry Wojtaszek echoed Bassett’s sentiments.

“Under Mr. Bianchi’s leadership, we have really good morale here with the workers, we've resolved a lot of the labor issues … and the business is at an all-time high,” he said. “And I think the outlook for the future is very bright. The physical plant is in great shape and WROTB is in the best shape it has ever been in.”

In other developments from today’s board meeting:

• Directors voted to contract with Mind Squad Consulting LLC of Orchard Park for up to $75,000 for training and professional development for WROTB’s key officers, starting with Wojtaszek and VP/Administration William White.

“Bill and I will enroll initially and then we will see the results of that type of training. If we think it is beneficial, we will continue on and then we’ll send our other two officers (Chief Financial Officer Jacquelyne Leach and VP/Operations Scott Kiedrowski),” Wojtaszek said.

He said the leadership team has done its “due diligence” regarding Mind Squad Consulting, with the goal to “have us operating at the highest efficiencies that we can.” He said the training will consist of in-person and virtual sessions, lasting up to eight months.

• The board authorized the purchase of a suite at Highmark Stadium for Buffalo Bills’ games for the next four seasons in the amounts not to exceed $109,000 for 2023, $113,000 for 2024, $117,000 for 2025 and $117,000 for 2026.

The resolution states that the expenditure is in line with WROTB’s “ongoing patron attraction and retention program … to provide entertainment event tickets for a certain level of our patrons as well as for special promotions.”

In a related move, directors approved spending $51,878 with Mark-It-Smart of Santa Ana, Calif., for Buffalo Bills’ clogs, coaster sets, backpacks and coolers to be used as promotional items.

• The board extended a contract with Kim Crawford to provide consulting services in respect to the surfacing and banking of the harness horse racing track for the 2023 winter meet that is currently taking place.

WROTB will pay Crawford an additional $21,000 to the previously agreed upon contract of $65,000 for 2023.

• Leach reported that $49,780 in surcharge from November activity will be distributed to the corporation’s member municipalities.

Photo: From left, Henry Wojtaszek, Richard Bianchi and Edward Morgan. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

For anyone with strong Batavia roots, the Engine House conjures up dining memories of corned beef sandwiches for $2.10 and a champagne Sunday brunch for less than six bucks. Now the longstanding historical icon earmarked as a capital project has some much higher dollar figures attached.

The county Legislature is expected to vote soon on the $1.86 million project, to be offset by a $892,610 grant and sales tax proceeds of $975,990. Since the funding was from 2022, it’s considered a 2022 capital project.

County Manager Matt Landers laid out the explanation during Wednesday’s Ways & Means meeting.

“And the reasoning behind this is that we're running out of space. We have run out of space with public defenders. So that's why there's already four over there in the engine house. And we're putting two more over there,” Landers said. “This is utilizing outside funding, outside of the county, to be able to put an elevator into the building. That is in our long-term plans now, based out of necessity, because the courts facility was not built large enough. It's an access issue to be able to access that building properly.”

The courts facility — a complex built for city, county, and family court, children’s services, the district attorney and various other legal professionals — is now unable to accommodate all county personnel.

Landers credited Public Defender Jerry Ader for securing the grant of nearly $893,000. Part of the expense includes an amount not to exceed $150,600 for the renovation design for SWBR of Rochester.

Plans include an elevator, since it has been difficult to reach the upper floors of the building, Landers said. As it is, the public and county employees cannot access the space, he said. Legislator Marianne Clattenburg believed it was there for a reason.

“It’s a historic space, and it’s not going anywhere,” she said. “So, we might as well use it, right?”

The design may not be completed until 2024, Landers, said, and there will be flexibility in the plan.

“As soon as we have the design done and a full cost estimate out there, if it is on target like we thought it would be, then we would increase the budget, increase the project for the vendor space and then award the contracts for doing the construction work,” he said. “If it comes in too high, then we simply would pull back our funding and reallocate that sales tax into our reserve and for future purposes. This really is a building that's underutilized now … And the best part of this is it's right next door to the courthouse, right where their work is, and we have the ownership of that, and we should make good use of it.”

This isn't the first time the county has mulled the use of the Engine House. In 2017, there were discussions of giving it up or opting to renovate the site to accommodate a growing number of public defenders and make the second-floor handicap accessible. Those discussions got as far as setting a public hearing, which was canceled in lieu of tabling any definite action.

According to former county Historian Susan Conklin, the site at 3 West Main St., Batavia, had been built in the late 1800s — first as a sawmill, and later as a two-room brick shelter that housed water pumps. City leaders decided in 1948 to convert the building into a fire station, giving it the name that has stuck for the next several decades — even when purchased in the 1980s to operate as a restaurant.

The Engine House bar and restaurant closed in 1991, and it took eight years before Buildings and Grounds began to convert it into a county department. In July of 1998, the History Department was relocated into the front section of the property.

Top Photo of a more recent version of the brick Engine House, and above, former buildings, including one that was partially collapsed from an explosion. Photos from the county's History Department archives.

Workers’ Compensation is hardly a sexy topic, but it’s becoming a vital component of Genesee County’s offerings, Assistant County Manager Tammy Ferringer says.

After a four-month search, Ferringer found and hired the county’s first health and safety coordinator who will serve as executive secretary for a cooperative Workers' Comp program of most every taxing entity in the county, including schools, towns and villages.

Up to recently, the participating entities haven’t shown much interest in training offered related to on-the-job safety issues, Ferringer said.

“Participants weren’t interested in training until this past year,” she said. “It was exciting to see a lot of attendance.”

Participants of the Workers’ Comp program pay a premium to be a member of the plan, and trainings are one of the perks that also help them to keep employees safe at work and reduce insurance claims, injuries and related absenteeism.

Workers' compensation is insurance that provides cash benefits and/or medical care for workers who are injured or become ill as a direct result of their job.

The new position was born out of the budget process this past year, Ferringer said after Kathy Jasinski had announced that she was going to be retiring at the end of the year.

“And so that prompted us to try and reenvision the gaps of the plan as it exists,” she said. “And we just wanted to enhance the services that are available to the plan participants ... the worker's comp plan that's administered by Genesee County, and towns, villages, school districts, any taxing entity in Genesee County can opt into the plan. And currently, there's a large list of them.”

Enter Dustin Watterson, a lifelong Oakfield resident who is now the full-time health and safety coordinator. He will be taking on administrative tasks, serving as safety officer for the county and going out on the road to meet plan participants.

“Dustin is going to be charged with the administrative piece of acting as executive secretary to the workers' comp plan. And he'll work with me on the administrative tasks necessary to make sure that it’s efficiently run," she said. "And then we are going to take this safety approach in-house, and he is going to go out on the road, and he is going to garner relationships with our participants and make sure that they know what's available to them.

“It keeps our workers safe, that’s the most important thing for everyone,” she said.

She added that if claims are contained, then costs will be reduced as well, which is also beneficial to any business operation.

Watterson has a decade of experience working in the security business via sales and consulting and is familiar with OSHA compliance, and items such as ADA railings, ramps, and rooftop fall protection, he said. Not only is the financial piece important, but also the morale of an employee who can otherwise be spared those days spent home recovering from an accident at work, he said.

Although Workers' Comp is one large umbrella, it covers multitudes of jobs and careers, Ferringer said.

“Our plan has so many different industries or types of workers, from law enforcement to nurses to just regular office staffs and highway workers and construction. There's such a diverse group of workers, we’re trying to make sure that we capture all of their needs,” Ferringer said. “But also, by working together with them … we’re just allowing them enhancement to help keep this community safe.”

During Wednesday’s Ways & Means meeting, County Manager Matt Landers introduced Watterson with confidence in his new role working with plan participants.

“I think he can help them with their safety plans,” Landers said.

Dustin Watterson, Genesee County's new health and safety coordinator, and Assistant County Manager Tammy Ferringer talk about the expanded and safety aspects of Workers' Comp Wednesday. Photo by Joanne Beck.

Farmers aren't converting profitable cropland into solar farms, said Tim Call, a Batavia businessman and farmer, after the Batavia Planning Board heard a proposal from New Leaf Energy to install a 5-megawatt project on 20 acres he owns at 7757 Oak Orchard Road.

There's good money to be made off of good land, according to Call, but it's become harder to turn a profit on low-yield land.

New York's new labor laws have a lot to do with turning marginal land into unprofitable land.

"Farmers are getting so good at producing on good acreage," Call said. "You don't need all the acreage that's there. The bad ground is not going to produce a lot of good things. It's just like the dairy farmers. If they have cows that are producing 40,000 pounds of milk a year, and they have one that's producing 10,000 pounds, why are you going to keep feeding those 10,000 pounds? You cull that one and get ones that are going to produce the most and give you the best return. You can't afford to farm bad farmland. It's just not profitable."

The state's increase in minimum wage and new overtime rules for farmworkers are causing farmers to re-evaluate what land they keep in production and what crops they grow, Call said. Out are low-yield acreage and crops that are labor intensive, such as cabbage, and other vegetables. Corn, wheat, and soybeans are favored because those crops don't need to be weeded or picked by hand.  The harvest can be fully mechanized. 

Last year, New York adjusted the overtime threshold for farmworkers to 40 hours per week. That's made it harder to hire workers who can migrate to other states with more worker-friendly laws, Call said.

"The overtime rule is really crippling everybody," Call said. "Plus the minimum wage that's out there. When we're trying to compete against other states where the minimum wage is $7, $8 and our minimum wage is $14.20, almost double, and then you can't get the farm or the migrants to come in and work because they can't get the hours that they want. It's just crippling. How do you compete?"

The proposed solar farm came before the board on Tuesday so the board could appoint itself lead agency for the environmental review, which it did.  The board will later be asked to vote on a proposed special use permit for the project.

This new solar installation will go on an 85.5-acre parcel that is just south of Daws Corners, which already contains a 15-acre solar farm on the back portion, along with some wetlands left undisturbed by either project. The two projects will cover 39.6 percent of the parcel, which is below the allowable 50 percent threshold.

New Leaf will plant about 153 trees to help visually screen the array.

The topsoil from the project area will be stored in a berm along the front of the property, which will make it available to redistribute on the parcel once the solar array is decommissioned.  The land could potentially, then, become farmland again.

Call noted during an interview with The Batavian that a solar installation doesn't permanently take the acreage out of agricultural use.

"The thing is, if it doesn't work out, you take the panels off, you pull it out of the ground, you pull the wire up, and you go back to farming," Call said. "You can't do that with some of these other things that they're doing. This isn't blacktop. It's not concrete, you know. You don't have a 40-by-40 pad that's 10 feet down in the ground. You can go back to farming."

Photo: Will Nieves, project developer for New Leaf Energy, and Mark Kenward, project engineer with Erdman Anthony, make a presentation for a solar project on behalf of property owner Tim Call, in the background. Photo by Howard Owens.

A multi-vehicle accident is reported at Warsaw Road and Cole Road, Le Roy.

Minor injuries are reported.

Le Roy Fire and Le Roy Ambulance dispatched.

A winter weather advisory has been issued for 4 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.

Mixed precipitation is expected with total ice accumulation of one-tenth of an inch.

Total snow and sleet accumulations of less than an inch is expected.

A mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow will spread from southwest to northeast through early Thursday
afternoon. Mixed precipitation will change over to all rain Thursday afternoon.

Use caution and expect slippery road conditions. 

Press release:

The­­­ Pembroke Jr./Sr. High School Girls’ Basketball Team will host its 12th annual Shooting For A Cure! event versus Oakfield-Alabama on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at the high school gym located at the corner of Routes 5 and 77 (8717 Alleghany Road) in Pembroke, New York. Admission is free. The team asks that attendees make a donation of any amount as they enter the facility, and all donations go to Roswell Park to support research efforts. In addition to donations at the door, all proceeds from raffle tickets, concession sales, and apparel sales go directly to Roswell Park. To date, Shooting For A Cure! has raised over $227,000 and has remains Roswell Park’s largest independent, community-based fundraising event.

The event began over a decade ago when the team approached then head coach Mike Wilson with an idea; they wanted to show their support for Toni Funke, wife of former coach and Pembroke teacher Ron Funke, in her battle against breast cancer by hosting a game in her honor which would bring the community together to raise awareness and funds for cancer research at Roswell Park. This season, the team hopes to add to the more than $227,000 the event has generated and donated since 2011 by continuing this benevolent Pembroke tradition.

Direct online donations are now being accepted in support of this year’s Shooting For A Cure! game at: http://give.roswellpark.org/goto/shooting-for-a-cure-12. In addition, the team is seeking donations from the community in the form of items to include in various raffles.  Food and beverages, provided by local vendors and restaurants, will be for sale during the event.  All of the proceeds will benefit cancer research at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.  The 2022-2023 Shooting For A Cure! donors list already contains many businesses and organizations, including 26Shirts, ADPRO Sports, Billy The Kid Automotive, the Buffalo Bills, the Buffalo Sabres, Dry Creek Group, Five Guys, the Genesee County YMCA, Hershey's Ice Cream, Homeslice 33 Pizzeria, Jimbo’s Construction, Knockaround Sunglasses, Linda's Family Diner, M&T Bank, Mighty Taco, New Era, Original Pizza Logs, Oxford Pennant, Pesci's Pizza, Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, Salsarita’s, Salvatore’s, Sincerely Kayla, Terry Hills, The Pink Cow, and Tim Horton's.

There will be several other ways to support the cause this year. Currently, the team has partnered with 26Shirts from Buffalo, a local company that designs and sells apparel items to benefit those in need. To date, 26Shirts has raised $1,694,965 for local families, foundations, and organizations. All proceeds from this apparel sale will directly benefit cancer research at Roswell Park. If you’re interested in limited edition, 12th annual Shooting For A Cure! gear, please visit: https://26shirts.com/collections/shooting-for-a-cure.

In addition to the apparel sale, Can Jam Redemption Center in Corfu has partnered with Shooting For A Cure! From today, up through February 3rd, you can donate your bottle and can return slips in support of cancer research at Roswell Park. When you bring in your returns, just let them know that you’d like to donate your slip to our Shooting For A Cure! mission.

Businesses and organizations wishing to make a donation for this year’s event should contact Mike Wilson, the Shooting For A Cure! coordinator at Pembroke, by calling (716) 949-0523.

Press release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) sent a letter to the Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission expressing concerns regarding the new national broadband map. This map is essential in determining eligibility for many federal broadband grants, including the Rural Development Broadband ReConnect Loan and Grant program and the new Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

Tenney raised concerns about the map’s methodology and its failure to provide information about libraries and other community anchor institutions (CAIs). Finally, she urged the FCC to extend the Jan. 13 deadline to submit disputes to ensure underserved communities and stakeholders throughout New York’s 24th Congressional District have adequate time to correct errors in the map. 

“There are far too many communities in New York’s 24th District and across the country that do not have access to reliable broadband,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “When broadband companies exaggerate or misstate their service availability in rural and low-income areas, this has a negative impact on everything from economic activity to educational opportunity. The proposed map put forward by the FCC is concerning for many reasons, including its lack of consideration for the rural communities I am honored to represent. I urge the Chairwoman of the FCC to take a deeper look into this issue and reevaluate this map to ensure it better serves all communities.”