Become an accredited agency, clearly specify job responsibilities for each sergeant, have a desk officer to take walk-in complaints once the new police station is operational, hire and fill vacancies for two school crossing guards, bump up the patrol roster by five to 25 officers and add a full-time confidential secretary.

Those are the recommendations from a New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services study for the Batavia Police Department. Chief Shawn Heubusch asked for a staffing study in June 2023, and he got back several recommendations that are up for consideration. Heubusch reviewed the results with City Council this week during the police department’s budget session at City Hall.

What went into it
The study took demographics, geography, and the area — the city has a total area of 5.2 square miles of land and 135 miles of roadway — within city limits, with major thoroughfares of east-west NY Route 5 and 33, north-south NY Route 63 and 98.

An owner-occupied housing rate of 49.3 percent with a median value of $108,100 per 2021 U.S. Census Bureau, and a population of 15,459, with 83.3. percent white, 5.8 percent Black, .1 percent American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2 percent Asian and 7.4 percent two or more races. The median household income, again, per 2021 dollars, was $51,914, with 16 percent of the population at or below the poverty line.

The police department has been involved in community events, including Batavia Community Night Out, Shop with a Cop, and Trunk or Treat, plus a newer Batavia Police Flag Memorial. The department also assists in several other events by providing police presence, such as at 5K races and parades.

The police budget in 2023 was $4,374,567, with an average of $3,907,698 during the last four years, the report states, for services that include preventative patrols, traffic control and enforcement; criminal investigations; enforcement and crime prevention; community policing activities; interagency collaboration and work activities; and community education; plus first aid efforts of using automated external defibrillators, Narcan and assistance at structure fires, mental health transports when needed.

A detective division investigates cases involving all major felonies, homicides, serious assaults, cyber, sex and juvenile crimes. Detectives also assist patrols with other investigations as requested, and are responsible for following up on preliminary investigations initiated by patrol officers.

Working by the numbers
There were 20,020 total calls for service in 2022 and 20,885 in 2021, reflecting “a lot of calls related to COVID,” Heubusch said. The average calls in both 2021 and 2022 during the day shift (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) were 6,444, with the most being in the afternoon from 3 to 11 p.m., at 7,110, and a drop to 6,899 during 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The DCJS uses a calculation to figure out how many posts are actually needed to fill three shifts per day. Using that formula, it recommended that 11 posts are needed, which was then calculated into officers, at seven for the day shift and nine for each of the afternoon and night shifts, for a total of 25 officers. 

“We are currently authorized for 20,” Heubusch said. “That’s a big jump. Their numbers back this up.” 

The formula indicates that 25 full-time uniformed personnel are required to respond to calls for service, the report states. This figure does not include patrol supervisory positions such as sergeants and/or corporals. This is the recommended minimum number, established by the application of the formula as being necessary to staff the Batavia Police Department to respond to calls for service, Heubusch said.

An overview of patrol activities showed wide differences for some tasks, such as 702 mental health calls in 2022 versus 658 in 2021 and 728 welfare checks in 2022 compared to 594 in 2021, and a few decreases, namely the 185 to 126 fraud complaints from 2021 to 2022, respectively. There were five more cases for detectives between the two years as well, up from, 325 to 330.

As is, training time, holidays, Workers Comp, “a lot of these factors are what’s driving over time,” he said. Overtime was conservatively estimated at $220,000 for the 2025 budget, and it “will probably be more,” Heubusch said. 

Parking incidents and violations rose, from 1,712 to 1,725 and 612 to 884, respectively. 

The department is in the process of becoming a DCJS-certified tactical team, Assistant Chief Chris Camp said, “and we hope to reach this goal within two years.”

“We’re really close; we just need to send a few more of our operators to our basic squad school,” he said. “Unfortunately, that’s a very time-consuming school, it’s a four-week school, and the offerings aren’t that much. So when they do offer them, we’ve got to make sure that we’re prepared to send somebody away for four weeks.”

The department is also working on an interagency agreement with Livingston County to operate as one tactical team when necessary, he said. 

“That helps us towards becoming a certified tactical team,” he said. “We want to become certified, so we think it will open the door for us to get grant money at that point in time. One of the things that we sorely lack right now is the ability to apply for grants because we’re not a certified team.” 

Upgraded technology has helped the department, in terms of time, money and space, Heubusch said, by allowing people to pay their tickets online more immediately, to submit and transmit video recordings to and from the police and district attorney’s office for use in investigations and legal proceedings, and ability to store records in the Cloud versus having physical storage at the station. 

There is $22,750 budgeted for uniforms, and Heubusch made a special note for council that “no money is budgeted for additional officers” in that uniforms line. Council members have to make a decision about whether to add one or more additional officers to next year’s budget or plan it out for future budgets. City Manager Rachael Tabelski informed them on Monday that it would cost $84,500 per officer, plus medical expenses. 

Council members Tammy Schmidt and Bob Bialkowski said they would not support any tax increases, and Council President Eugene Jankowski was in favor of taking any personnel changes slowly and holding off this year, he said. 

Bialkowski said he thinks the department is “doing a great job,” however, there could be a better effort made with public outreach.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize what’s available … what your department is capable of,” Bialkowski said.

The department tries to educate the public and keep updated whenever possible, Heubusch said. 

“We put press releases out on new programs that we have on a regular basis. We have a program that allows people to register their cameras with us so we know where they are,” he said. “We're trying to stay ahead of technology. And that's the one thing that I take a lot of pride in and pat ourselves on the back if you will, is our technology in the department is not very far behind the general public.”

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A deputy who has distinguished himself through hard work, dedication, and a positive, professional attitude was named Tuesday Officer of the Year for the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

Chad P. Cummings joined the force nine years ago and has consistently demonstrated a willingness to take on additional duties as he's moved through various positions in the department, said Sheriff William Sheron. 

Jason R. Queal, a corrections officer for 11 years, received the Distinguished Service Award for his work and dedication. 

Other notable awards were given to three deputies who assisted a mother in dire circumstances and six corrections officers who helped save an inmate from an attempted suicide. 

Cummings, Sgt. Jason E. Saile and Deputy Jenna M. Ferrando commendationsfor assisting a destitute mother who was the subject of a trespass complaint at a local hotel because she was unable to pay her bill on Oct. 2. After the deputies were unable to secure assistance for her with any area agency, the officers pooled their own personal funds and rented her a room at another hotel, provided the family food, and made six trips to move the family and their belongings to their new room.

Also receiving commendations were Senior Correction Officer James M. Smart and Correction Officers Dennis J. Bartholomew, Laurie J. Schwab, Tyler M. Tambe, Chester L. Sherman, & Katherine M. Stearns.

The corrections officers worked together on Dec. 20 to reinstate an inmate who had attempted to hang himself and obtained emergency medical treatment for the inmate, saving his life.

Press release:

Officer of the Year Award
Deputy Sheriff Chad Cummings has distinguished himself in the performance of service to the citizens of Genesee County during 2023. 

Deputy Sheriff Chad P. Cummings is a nine-year member of the Sheriff’s Office, with the last three of those years assigned to the Civil Office.  Deputy Cummings consistently displays a professional, positive attitude and unwavering work ethic.  Deputy Cummings has been a leader in civil enforcement (one of the most dangerous duties a Deputy performs).  He always accepts special assignments and has taken on additional duties, such as completing the Seal Orders in the Records Division, assisting Road Patrol with inmate transports, and handling multiple traffic complaints. 

Deputy Sheriff Chad P. Cummings has reflected great credit upon himself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, and most deserve to be named Officer of the Year.

Distinguished Service Award – 
Senior Correction Officer Jason R. Queal has distinguished himself as a Genesee County Sheriff’s Office member for 11 years. 

Senior Correction Officer Jason R. Queal began his career on January 19, 2013.  During his career, he was the recipient of a Meritorious Service award for his consistent dedication in the performance of his duties.  Senior C.O. Queal is the Grievance Coordinator; he thoroughly investigates and resolves each inmate’s complaint effectively and professionally. Additionally, he is the liaison with the Commission of Corrections, assisting with the jail’s cycle reviews, and he is a firearms and defensive tactics instructor.  Senior C.O. Queal frequently assists administration with tasks that go well beyond his listed duties to ensure smooth operations and is always willing to take on additional responsibilities without hesitation.

Senior Correction Officer Jason R. Queal has reflected great credit upon himself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

LONGEVITY AWARDS:

• Senior Correction Officer Jason R. Queal, 10 years
• Sergeant Andrew B. Hale, 10 years
• Case Manager Nicole M. Easton, 10 years
• Senior Emergency Services Dispatcher Michael T. Sheflin, 15 years
• Senior Emergency Services Dispatcher Jason W. Holman, 15 years
• Sergeant James M. Diehl, 15 years
• Deputy Sheriff Kevin R. McCarthy, 15 years
• Principal Financial Clerk Deborah A. Shea, 15 years
• Director of Emergency Communications Francis A. Riccobono, 15 years
• Jail Cook William S. Cultrara, 15 years
• Correction Officer Daniel J. Renz, 20 years
• Senior Correction Officer Caleb C. Chaya, 20 years
• Correction Officer Brian M. Manley, 25 years
• Senior Correction Officer Peter M. Hoy, 25 years

MERITORIOUS AWARDS: 

Correction Officer Jason Buck
Correction Officer Jason M. Buck has distinguished himself by Meritorious Service as a member of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. 

Correction Officer Buck has been instrumental in utilizing his communication skills to de-escalate multiple situations with hostile inmates to resolve incidents calmly and without force.  He voluntarily accepts additional responsibilities such as assisting the grievance coordinator, training new officers, and accepting overtime shifts when needed.  Correction Officer Jason M. Buck is a true asset to the department; his professionalism, dedication, and work ethic are an example for others.

Correction Officer Jason M. Buck has brought great credit upon himself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

COMMENDATIONS:

Sergeant Jason E. Saile, Deputy Jenna M. Ferrando, & Deputy Chad P. Cummings
These officers are being recognized for their actions while on duty on October 2, 2023.  A call was received for a trespass complaint at a local hotel.   It was determined that a guest had no way to pay for her room and was asked to leave.  The guest was with two children and stated they would be homeless if they left the hotel.  Attempts to secure assistance were unsuccessful because there was none available.  These officers paid out of their own pockets for a room for the night at a nearby hotel and for food to feed the family.  Additionally, they made six trips to move the family’s belongings from one hotel to the other.  These officers are to be commended for their actions which have brought great credit upon themselves and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputy Jeremiah W. Gechell
Deputy Sheriff Jeremiah W. Gechell is being recognized for a Commendation Award for his actions while off duty August 10, 2023.   Deputy Gechell came upon a two-car motor vehicle accident that had just occurred on Main Road in the Town of Pembroke.  Without hesitation, Deputy Gechell stopped to assist at the scene and immediately contacted the Genesee County Emergency Services Dispatch Center with important information that a typical citizen may not know to relay.  Deputy Gechell was able to apply his own tourniquet to one of the patients who had suffered a severe leg injury and was bleeding profusely.  Applying the tourniquet stopped major blood loss until additional assistance arrived and, undoubtedly, contributed to saving the patient’s life.   Deputy Sheriff Jeremiah W. Gechell is to be commended for his actions which have brought great credit upon himself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

Sergeant Mathew J. Clor
Sergeant Mathew J. Clor is being recognized with a Commendation Award for his actions while on duty.

December 27, 2023.  A 9-1-1 EMS call was received for a resident with an arm laceration.  Sergeant Clor was nearby and responded to the call.  Upon arrival, Sergeant Clor found a male bleeding heavily from his arm as a result of an accident with a storm door.  Without hesitation, Sergeant Clor applied his own tourniquet to the patient and in doing so was able to stop the excessive bleeding until medical assistance arrived.  Sergeant Clor’s quick actions and instincts prevented more serious injury to the patient.   Sergeant Mathew J. Clor is to be commended for his actions which have brought great credit upon himself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. 

Deputy James D. Stack
Deputy Sheriff James D. Stack is being recognized for a Commendation Award for his instrumental coordination and implementation of the Sheriff’s Office handgun replacement project.  Deputy Stack proposed a transition and replacement of the Sheriff's Office duty handguns by supplying rationale citing the benefit and need for an updated firearm platform and estimated costs for the project.  Deputy Stack assisted with the logistics of acquiring the needed equipment and was integral in the planning for the implementation of a training program.  The effort put forth by Deputy Stack on this project resulted in a state-of-the-art, updated firearm platform for the Sheriff's Office duty handguns.  Deputy Sheriff James D. Stack is to be commended for his actions which have brought great credit upon himself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigator Ryan M. DeLong
Investigator Ryan M. DeLong is being recognized for a Commendation Award for his instrumental

contribution in acquiring a Mobile Response Unit for the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.  Investigator DeLong proposed that the Sheriff's Office had a need for a vehicle which could be primarily used as a mobile operations center.  In addition to his primary investigative responsibilities, Investigator DeLong researched solutions and was able to identify and acquire, with minimal expense, a vehicle which could suit the needs of the Office.  Investigator DeLong followed through with outfitting the vehicle with necessary equipment and has been instrumental in the Sheriff’s Office being able to put a Mobile Response Unit into service to better serve the community.  Further, Investigator DeLong continues to be proactive with combating organized retail crime efforts.  Investigator Ryan M. DeLong is to be commended for his actions which have brought great credit upon himself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigator Erik B. Andre
Investigator Erik B. Andre is being recognized with a Commendation Award for his continuous work creating proactive investigations.   Throughout 2023, Investigator Andre has maintained a substantial caseload of active investigations as well as aggressively combatting retail theft crime.  Investigator Andre has worked to develop cases that may not have otherwise been pursued as they were not initially reported by the stores themselves.  By pursuing these cases, Investigator Andre not only holds the perpetrators accountable, but he has also developed information that has been valuable in other investigations.

Investigator Erik B. Andre is to be commended for his actions which have brought great credit upon himself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

Senior Correction Officer James M. Smart and Correction Officers Dennis J. Bartholomew, Laurie J. Schwab, Tyler M. Tambe, Chester L. Sherman, & Katherine M. Stearns
These officers are being recognized for their actions while on duty on December 20, 2023.  At approximately 5:29 pm, there was an incident of an inmate attempted suicide.  Officers remained calm, secured the scene, responded quickly, and worked together to resuscitate the inmate.  These officers are to be commended for their courage and quick actions, which have brought great credit upon themselves and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

Lead Family Advocate Jacqueline M. O’Brien & Family Advocate Lydia J. Schauf
These advocates are being recognized for being instrumental in providing the Child Safety Matters child abuse prevention curriculum to over 3,000 children in the Batavia and Byron-Bergen school districts in grades kindergarten through eighth.  This prevention education curriculum has been shown to empower children with information to enhance their ability to reduce the risk of neglect, cyber crimes, bullying, physical abuse, and sexual abuse.  O’Brien went above and beyond her typical workload with many sessions provided when the CAC was short-staffed.  These advocates are to be commended for their actions which have brought great credit upon herself and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION:

JFCAC Program Coordinator Theresa Roth for her eight years of service.  She has served the citizens of Genesee County with professionalism, dedication, and enthusiasm and has been a source of pride for the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.   

Gary Patnode for his assistance in improving training space for department firearms.  When the training staff inquired about improving a room to clean and maintain department firearms, Gary used personal time and his own supplies to build countertops to enhance the room’s space and capability.  His efforts have resulted in an improved and dedicated space to maintain equipment to the necessary standards needed for everyday duty use for the Sheriff’s Office.

Alex Moskal. Loss Prevention Supervisor and Organized Retail Crime Captain for Kohl’s Department Store, for his assistance throughout 2023 fighting organized retail crime at the Towne Center shopping plaza.  Due to Alex’s vast knowledge, experience, and countless interactions in the field, he has been able to identify countless misdemeanor and felony crime suspects via surveillance video.  He has also assisted our Office in identifying suspects involved in other retail store thefts in Genesee County, including a high-dollar theft from a local beauty supply store.  Alex provides well-written depositions, supplies complete surveillance video footage and makes himself accessible to law enforcement during off hours.

A fourth-quarter run by Byron-Bergen on Monday wasn't enough for the Bees to overcome Attica's game-long lead.

The Blue Devils won the Boys Basketball contest 49-45.

Braedyn Chambry scored 22 points for the Bees. 

Also in Boys basketball on Monday, Pembroke beat Kendall 68-44. Jayden Bridge scored 19 points, Tyson Totte, 18, and Avery Ferreira, 11.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

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LEGAL NOTICE: Medtech Landing GCEDC Assistance Public Hearing

In the early morning on Friday, a caller, using security cameras, observed individuals in hoodies in a gun shop on Lockport Road, Oakfield and called law enforcement while continuing to monitor their activities.

Chief Deputy Joseph Graff confirmed that emergency dispatchers received a call at 5:17 a.m.

The caller observed the suspects leave before deputies arrived on scene.  

The perpetrators are still at large.

It's unclear if they stole any items from the shop.

Graff said, "It's very early in the investigation. We don't have anything further to share at this point."

LEGAL NOTICE: Notice of Public Hearing, Town of Batavia Planning Board:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held by the Town of Batavia Planning Board regarding an application for a Special Use Permit by Wesley Winters, 181 Pearl St., Batavia, NY to add a third apartment to an existing structure in the Hamlet Commercial District at 8591 Slusser Rd, Batavia, NY - Tax Map 6.-1-48.

Said hearing will be held on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at the Batavia Town Hall at 7:00 p.m. at which time all interested persons will be heard.   Written comments will be accepted prior to that date.  You may email the Chairman at  kjasinski@townofbatavia.com or text 219-9190.

by order of the Town of Batavia Planning Board

Kathleen Jasinski, Chairman

Mancuso Bowling Center, Le Roy Legion Lanes and Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen are hosting tournaments in February.

Two tourneys are scheduled for this weekend – the Help ‘R Heroes handicap team event at Legion Lanes and the Genesee Region USBC Youth Team event at Rose Garden Bowl.

While the Help ‘R Heroes tournament runs from Friday through Sunday, the only openings are on the Friday 7 p.m. squad. First prize, based on 32 teams, is $1,000.

To enter the four-person team tourney, call Scott O’Neill at 409-0459.

The GRUSBC Youth Team tournament lists squads at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday (following the GR Youth Travel League).

Travel League bowlers are eligible to participate in the tournament, using their league scores. 

Each team is comprised of three bowlers. Entry fee is $60 per team. Scholarships for the first place team and trophies for the top three teams will be awarded.

To enter, send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com.

Other February tournaments:

-- Feb. 9-10: 28^th annual Betty Ellison Memorial Crossroads House Tournament, Mancuso Bowling Center. Squads are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, with the Friday squad and the 6 p.m. Saturday squad featuring glow bowling with a DJ. Each team consists of four bowlers. To enter, go to www.crossroadshouse.com.

-- Feb. 11: “Super Bowl” Handicap Singles, Mancuso Bowling Center. The four-game qualifying squad is set for noon. One in four bowlers will advance to the head-to-head match play round. Entry fee is $45. First prize (based on 32 teams) is $450. To enter, contact Mark Brown at 716-474-7960.

-- Feb. 17-18: GRUSBC No-Tap Doubles, Le Roy Legion Lanes. Qualifying squads are scheduled for 1, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. each day. Entry fee is $60 per team. The maximum team averages is 420. First prize, based on 48 teams, is $600. To enter, email mikep@bowlgr.com. Note: Only one opening at 1 p.m. Feb. 17 and no openings at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 17. Openings exist on the other four squads.

-- Feb. 23-25: 22^nd annual Ron Riggi Memorial 4-Person Handicap, Le Roy Legion Lanes. An $800 top prize is offered, based on 24 teams. Squad times are 6:30 p.m. Feb. 23, noon Feb. 24 and 1 p.m. Entry fee is $100 per team. To enter, contact Brown at 716-474-7960.

After Monday’s latest city budget session — which grew contentious at times — at least two City Council members said they are against any tax increases, while City Manager Rachael Tabelski has made it clear that maintaining the status quo for a tax levy isn’t feasible to continue the same or better level of services. 

Councilman-at-large Bob Bialkowski said early on that he wouldn’t go for a tax increase, and Councilwoman Tammy Schmidt later said that since she’s been representing Ward Six, the total budget has gone from $29 million to $33 million to this year’s proposed $37 million, and a $4 million-per-year increase for the budget is “not sustainable.”

Her comments came on the heels of the police department budget presentation, which included a report recommendation from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services to increase the force by five officers, from 20 to 25, at a cost of $84,500 each, which includes starting salary, FICA, retirement and holiday pay. Medical would add another $12,000. There was no discussion about uniforms, equipment and vehicles for additional officers. 

“I mean, the budget’s up over a million dollars; that’s just the police budget," Schmidt said. "I think we could try to add one a year, but I don't think, I wouldn't vote for a tax increase at all, I can already tell you that. My constituents live in a poor district, I have to represent Ward Six. And my ward isn't going to go for even a penny, because the water bills are up, you want a storm sewer tax -- I won’t vote for that either, because my constituents call me all the time, and I won’t vote for a tax increase, because I’m sure the assessments are going up. We can’t raise the bills every year in the city of Batavia when 80 percent of the people are at poverty level. You know, the people sitting around this table might not have a problem.”

At that point, Schmidt got cut off by her fellow council members and city staff offering input about her comments. City Manager Rachael Tabelski questioned the 80 percent figure, which Schmidt said she surmised from the school district’s free supplies program. 

The city school district does offer a free and reduced lunch program, per the New York State Nutrition Department, which has federal funding support. School districts must be eligible based on their specific poverty rates and have to apply for approval. Batavia City School District is eligible because it has an “Identified Student Percentage of 40 percent or higher according to building level data,” per the district’s website.

As for an actual poverty level, the latest U.S. Census numbers put the city’s poverty at 13.3 percent, compared to the overall Genesee County level at 10 percent. 

There was further discussion and debate about income levels in the city. Tabelski said that there are some 45 percent people in the city making at least $60,000 a year, to which Schmidt replied that she couldn’t survive on that income, and she knows the city manager’s household makes much more than that. 

The median household income, according to 2022 Census Bureau figures, was $54,937 for the city of Batavia. The median income is in the middle of the income range, from lowest to highest, so about half are lower and half are higher. The per-capita (what an individual makes) income in 2022 dollars is $34,517.

Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said he understood Schmidt’s concern.

“And we have to understand also that a lot of people here expect a certain service, and they want to be safe, and they want their streets to be safe. And we are very safe if you look at us, because we're also putting money aside, we're putting money in reserves," he said. "Some of this increase in the police budget includes the current budget for last year, that 80,000 some dollars isn't covered over into this budget, so then technically, it doesn’t count because we were supposed to spend it in last year's budget and it's being brought over.”

Tabelski further clarified that “we settled the contract before wages to be included. We took from the contingency, so you're not even comparing apples to apples. Last year's budget for this year is not the same comparison,” she said. 

The 2023 adopted budget for the police department was $4,374,567, and the proposed 2025 budget is $5,048,862. This includes personnel of 20 patrol officers, with one vacancy, five detectives — one for juvenile and one for narcotics — one supervising detective, the police chief and assistant chief and two school resource officers, both paid for by the school district but supplied vehicles by the department. 

The department has been interviewing for a crossing guard position, and Tabelski proposed the creation of a full-time confidential secretary position to add to the current full-time records clerk and a part-time clerk. She also suggested that the part-time clerk position would be kept on the books, though the job may not actually get filled. 

During that conversation, Tabelski abruptly suggested that the council go into executive session to discuss a personnel matter. Since, per the open meeting law, that general statement is not a sufficient explanation for a private discussion, The Batavian asked if the meeting was to discuss a specific person, and Tabelski said yes. 

A few minutes later, the open meeting resumed, and Tabelski said the confidential secretary position would be part of the police budget. If council opted to add those five extra patrol officers, that would mean an extra $425,000 in expenses, “that we’re going to have to start to plan for, either in this budget or the next,” Tabelski said.

Jankowski is in favor of a “slow, work-toward-this policy” so that the group can evaluate the city’s needs before jumping into a costly move to add extra personnel, he said. 

There may come a point when there is no choice, Tabelski said. 

“Councilman Bialkowski, I have the greatest respect for you, but you can't tell me to keep taxes the same and still deliver the same service, then say you're the manager, you figure it out. As my legislative counterpart, we’re here together to work on this. These meetings are more robust than they've ever been because we want to be completely transparent,” she said. “I get the budget from the department heads. I'm slashing and burning budgets, they hate me for a month and a half, then I come here, and do my best to sit down with our department heads and try to give you all the information of what we are doing, and we just heard a lot of maintenance … and we’ve gotta pay the piper. 

“And this is really what we wanted to talk to you about. We understand that everyone’s costs have gone up, but I do believe the average citizen expects a small incremental increase in what they’re paying to keep the city services here,” she said. “I absolutely believe that’s the case 90 percent of the time. We will face $2 to $3 in tiny, incremental changes.”

The Town of Byron appointed tax collector, Marilyn Weinert, is adding hours of collections for the last days of January.

In-person hours will be from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 7 p.m. for Tuesday and Wednesday.

A drop box is available outside of these hours.

Voicemail is currently unavailable, so please use townclerk@byronny.com for the tax collector or town clerk business, and supervisor@byronny.com for the town supervisor.
 

As Genesee County Animal Shelter staff and volunteers prepare for the mandates handed down by New York State for a new companion animal law, there’s no doubt some apprehension in the air.

Dog control officers Sarah Fountain and Catherine Stewart have been at the Route 5 shelter for more than two years each, and though confident in what’s currently being done to care for the animals, they know that modifications to the status quo are coming.

“It’s very overwhelming,” Fountain said Thursday, with two thick packets of the law and guidelines sitting nearby on her desk. “I think change is very scary for people. I think some of this stuff is already being done.”

There are the bigger alterations of the physical building, which sits alongside County Building #2, including a new HVAC system that keeps the air temperature between 60 and 80 degrees, separate ventilation systems for the adoption and stray side of the shelter, larger kennels for both dogs and cats, isolation rooms for sick dogs and cats, treatment rooms for dogs and cats, separate washing facilities for both dogs and cats, additional wash sinks for volunteers, and daylighting for diurnal lighting. 

Those are no small fixes, as they will require major spending, to be offset with a grant for up to the maximum amount of $500,000 the county is hoping to receive. There are also the physical implications of doing work alongside caged occupants. County officials are reaching out to adjacent shelters for assistance with temporary housing while much of the upgrades and repairs are being done, Fountain said. 

Then there are the boots-on-the-ground changes — those day-to-day items that she and Seward and the daily core eight volunteers for dogs and about 15 for cats must abide by per state Ag & Markets law. 

“We have to keep documentation of every little thing, and there’s more training for volunteers and everyone who’s coming into the building,” Seward said. “It’s something we already do, but we have to increase it, keep more detailed records — are they eating, are they drinking, going to the bathroom, the noise levels and temperature levels.”

Other data tracked by animal shelters includes animal handling; behavioral assessment; enrichment and stress reduction; management of bite/scratch cases; and sanitation, plus written protocols approved by a licensed veterinarian, including nutrition and feeding; physical examination; emergency veterinary care; pain management; vaccinations; parasite control; anesthesia and surgery, if performed on-site by the organization; humane euthanasia; and outbreak management/control of infectious diseases.

They both agreed that the animals are well taken care of, and the shelter operation has become one of those “well-oiled machines.”  However, there are a few things that could use attention, such as the temperature. While there hasn’t been a problem with maintaining proper heat during winter, it has gotten very hot during summer. They have some air conditioning and fans, but “it does exceed 80 degrees” on those exceptionally blazing 85-degree days, Seward said.

She looks forward to having something more stable in place.

“I think it’s a good thing. We have struggled to keep them — it’s not all the time, but there are times when we struggle to keep the temperatures down, and we’re moving dogs around to get everybody to where we can keep them comfortable,” she said. 

“And when it’s warmer than 85 degrees, it’s not ideal for the people or the animals,” Fountain added.

They have shuffled dogs around to different spots in the shelter if a room is particularly sunny and warm and make sure they’re near a fan, they said. 

“This past summer, part of it was trying to move them to different spots. We had this room that seemed to be too hot, the way the sun's coming in later in the day, that we have one particular dog room that gets particularly hot. And I think it has to do with the way the sun's coming in," Seward said. "We’ve had to move dogs to the other side to a room that is cooler, we’ll move them over there under more fans over on the other side. And then move them back if we get it cooled off, and move them back before we're open to the public.” 

Daily logs will be mandatory for cats as well, tracking how many minutes a day they have interactions with others and what the interaction was. 

“I think we’ll all have to be checking. We have a system with the cats right now set up. We’re tracking, feeding, and watering so that they get enrichment time," Fountain said. "We need to get into a routine of doing that tracking. I think we just started with the cats, and now we’re going to move on to the dogs.”

With a smaller core group of volunteers working with the dogs, Seward sees that being a little easier to manage than with more people and more opportunity for variety, interacting with the cats since there’s a settled routine and schedule for the dogs. Seward and Fountain like routine.

“Sarah and I have a routine, we come in and in the morning we’re the ones that feed and let out the dogs, and we clean, sometimes there’s volunteers that help with that. But we come in and we do kind of the basic care for the day, everybody gets fed, everybody goes outside,” Seward said. “Throughout the rest of the day, it’s more spot cleaning, everything gets scrubbed in the morning, and then as the day goes on, we just do it kind of as needed. We have a great group of volunteers that comes in in the afternoon. And they kind of have a schedule for who does what days, but it’s a smaller group.”

For as many guidelines as the state has passed on to them, the officers aren’t certain how all of the tracking will be managed. Will it be done via computer or manually written and available in hard copy form? “They haven’t given us an answer as to how they’re going to monitor that,” Fountain said. 

Having all of the information in a computer program would be nice, they said.

Along with the new revisions, we will be replacing all of the cat cages — they’re too small for the new regulations, have slatted bottoms which won’t be allowed, and should be compartmentalized so that sleeping, eating, and litter box areas are properly separated.  

The adoption kennels need to be reconfigured so that there are some bigger cages for those larger breeds of dogs that come in. A sink/wash set-up will be built in the dog adoption area, specifically, “readily accessible sinks shall be convenient to all animal care areas. Single service soap and towels or electric hand dryers shall be available at all hand-washing locations.” Space is to be mapped out to provide isolation areas for animals with infectious diseases, so as not to spread those to others.

Sound will be another focal point. Each animal shelter “shall minimize continuous exposure of personnel and animals to sound levels exceeding 85 decibels. Active measures shall be taken and documented to minimize sound levels in housing areas. Such measures may include modified kennel design, relocation of particularly loud animals, or use of visual barriers, sound baffling, and behavioral enrichment protocols.”

Each animal shelter is to use a decibel meter at a minimum of once weekly to measure the level of sound in their kennels during cleaning and resting times. “A record of such measurements and the date such measurements were recorded shall be maintained by each animal shelter.”

The current shelter floor has been peeling and needs to be addressed, which will happen as part of the overall project, Seward said. There are pros and cons to consider, from the additional time it may take to complete the ongoing tracking and related paperwork and how to manage several animals during interior construction to the final outcome, she said.

“We have an issue with the flooring back there that the floors need to be refinished, where our flooring is peeling up and it's not truly disinfectable as is. Okay, so it doesn't make sense to fix the floor without also adjusting the kennel sizes. It doesn't make sense to fix this and then take out a wall, and now you have a place missing the floor sealant or whatever they decided to put on. So we kind of need to think of the bigger picture and make sure everything's done in an appropriate way to fix the issue. Not piecemeal things together,” she said. “We do take a lot of pride in taking good care of our animals. Some of the physical changes need to happen to provide the best care. As least temporarily we’re going to have to adjust, we’re going to have the animals out of here short-term. I think this shelter does so much good, we need to upgrade some things.”

They’ve already had a companion animal consultation and visits from officials to take a look at the building. The grant application has only just been approved by the county Legislature for submission, and Fountain and Seward hope to hear something by this spring.

Meanwhile, the new law will take effect Dec. 15, 2025. 

Five Genesee Region USBC members, including two Batavia residents, cashed at the 60-and-Over Tour tournament on Sunday at Medina Lanes.

Batavians Scott Shields and Bill Neubert along with Medina residents Jim Foss, Roger Allis and Bob Hodgson advanced to the 16-bowler eliminator finals as a result of their three-game qualifying scores.

Foss, who led the qualifier with a 730 series, went on to place third, winning $225.

Jim Galletta of Oswego placed first, posting a 266 game in the final round, to take home the $420 top prize. Buffalo’s Dave Rudnick was second ($300) and Jim Pitts of Elmira finished in fourth place ($170).

Shields, who rolled 693 in the qualifying round, and Allis made it to the semifinals and won $125 each. Neubert and Hodgson lost in the first round and won $100 apiece.

In Genesee Region USBC league action last week:

-- Robbie Hanks hit the 800 mark for the eighth time at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion, posting 278-279-257—814 in the Sneezy’s Monday Night League.

-- Brian Cline raised his average to 238 with a 259-278-237—774 effort in the Mancuso Real Estate Monday Doubles League at Mancuso Bowling Center.

-- Andrew Rose rolled 727 in the Tuesday Coed League and James Townsend registered 726 in the Brighton Securities Tuesday Triples League, both at Mancuso’s.

For a list of high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.

Press Release:

The American Legion Auxiliary Unit #576 of Le Roy has selected a candidate and three alternates for this year's Empire Girls State the week of June 30 at SUNY Brockport. Grace Slocum has been selected to attend as a candidate. 

As part of the premier ALA program, citizens of the New York Girls State will study local, county, and state government processes during this five-day nonpartisan political learning experience. Grace is a high school junior and honor student from Pavilion Central School District. She is a participant in several clubs and organizations, earning third place in the Literature category at the 2024 Interscholastic Competition in English (ICE). Grace is also a two-season scholar athlete and remains in high academic standing. In addition to Girls’ State, Grace will be attending the Pavilion Close-Up trip to Washington, D.C. in March 2024.

Aubrey Puccio, alternate, is a junior at LeRoy Jr/Sr High school. She is involved in almost all music programs at the school including the musical, chorus and Knights and Gals.

Tristan Harding, alternate, is a junior at Pavilion. She is influenced greatly by her family and has been part of Scouts BSA for years, with the goal of becoming an Eagle scout some day. She also participated in the National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) this past summer. Outside of Scouting, she spends her time participating in Volleyball and Figure Skating, Performance Guild, SADD, Page Turners, Ski Club, and Trap Club, where she had the opportunity to compete at the State level.

Sammy Privatera, alternate, is a junior at Le Roy. She comes from a family that has been very active in this program. Her brother went to Boys State in 2016 and her sister to Girls State in 2021. Sammy loves all things having to do with music and has participated in Band, Chorus, Jazz Band, Knights n’ Gals, Marching Band, Musical, and other activities. Along with that she is a highly active member of the National Honor Society and loves making a positive impact on her community.

ALA Girls State attendees, known as “citizens,” receive special instruction in parliamentary procedure and organize themselves into two mock political parties. The young women then campaign, hold rallies, debate, and vote to elect city, county, and state officials. Once elected to office, delegates are sworn in and perform their prescribed duties. Attendees not elected to office are given appointments and visit
the offices of those elected to share their viewpoints as citizens.

Every spring, approximately 25,000 young women across the country are selected to attend ALA Girls State programs in their respective states. Two outstanding citizens from each of the 50 ALA Girls State programs are then chosen to represent their state as “senators” at ALA Girls Nation held in Washington, D.C. in July.

Calling for an end to U.S. funding what they term "genocide" in Gaza, members of the Genesee County Democratic Socialists of America conducted a protest Saturday outside of  Batavia City Hall.

"A lot of people died, a lot of people are displaced," said Logan Cole, secretary for the group. "It's not only that, but they can't come back, they have nowhere to go. The rates of death, especially the death of children, rival that of historical incidences of genocide, including the Armenian Genocide and even some of the concentration camps back during the Holocaust."

Asked for his views on Hamas, Cole said, "Their tactics are not ones I support, but it is very difficult whenever you are held in an area, in an open-air prison, and I think historically, violence has become something that is sort of inevitable when you're putting so much pressure on a particular population."

Asked if Israel shouldn't defend itself against terrorists, Cole said, "I disagree with the characterization of terrorists. I don't think the word terrorists has a place in the discourse. I don't think it's appropriate. It's like, you know, the difference between Hamas, which has killed thousands of people, and the IDF (Israel Defense Force), which I also don't consider terrorists, which has killed tens of thousands of people, where their violence is sanctioned by the state. To me, that's a minor point. I think that I hope for a ceasefire. I hope to end funding the atrocities being committed against Palestinians and, eventually, a free Palestine that is pluralistic and democratic."

After the protest, Cole emailed The Batavian the text of a statement he made later in the day during the protest.  Here is the full statement:

So much of the discussion surrounding the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza is designed to derail conversation about atrocities being committed against Palestinians or prevent one from being sympathetic to those in Gaza. One of the rhetorical devices that has been frequently employed in the propaganda and conversation surrounding Palestine is the thought-terminating cliché. A thought-terminating cliché is an overused piece of language that is intended to stop an argument or conversation, rather than give it the attention it deserves.

For example, the word “terrorist” and the concept of terrorism are often used to try to halt discussion of Palestinian losses so people do not become sympathetic to them. At times, the Israeli media would take the figures of Palestinian casualties provided by the Gaza Health Ministry and say that all of them were terrorists — for example, Israeli news sources would say instead of 9,000 Palestinians killed (many of which were literally children), “9,000 terrorists eliminated.” As far as I’m concerned, the word “terrorist” has no place in the discourse about Palestine.

Sometimes, an important problem is marginalized because it is cynically deployed as a thought-terminating cliché. Bigotry against Jewish people has been a huge problem, as we recently saw at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and the synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh and Jersey City. Lately, speaking out against the atrocities committed against Palestinians and the Zionist (right-wing, nationalist) ideas that underpin them by groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and initiatives like BDS, has been deemed by some, including the Anti-Defamation League (the ADL), as “antisemitic.” Zionism is not Judaism — indeed there are more Zionist Christians in the United States than there are Jewish people in the world. Declaring an anti-Zionist statement is antisemitic solely on that basis is itself a form of anti-Jewish bigotry because it associates the entirety of Jewish people with the modern form of Zionism, which takes much of its inspiration from atrocious ideologies like Manifest Destiny and eugenics, which themselves were used to justify other genocides. Conflating anti-Zionism and anti-Jewish bigotry through the use of the term “antisemitism” takes attention from the real acts of hate and violence being committed against Jewish people every day. The use of antisemitism as a thought-terminating cliché hurts both Jewish and Palestinian people.

Ironically, perhaps the most commonly used thought-terminating cliché is the idea that the subject is complicated, complex, or that it requires nuance. Nothing ends a conversation or stops someone from asking questions faster than saying a situation is complicated.

The fact that there is a genocide in Gaza is not complicated:

• More than 25,000 dead (more than 10,000 of them children)
• More than 60,000 wounded
• More than 7,000 trapped under rubble
• More than 100 times as many children die everyday in Gaza than in the Ukrainian conflict zone
• More than 1.9 million people have been displaced in Gaza — that’s more than 85% of the population
• Only 5 doctors remain in Gaza
• 83 out of ~1,000 journalists in Gaza have been killed (more than 8%)
• More than 7,000 Palestinian political prisoners detained
• More than 70% of homes have been destroyed in Gaza
• 95% of those facing starvation in the world are in Gaza right now

It’s not complicated. We can’t stop thinking about Gaza. There needs to be a ceasefire, a halt to all US support for the military exploits against Palestine, no further Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, and a free Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

Press Release:

Lion Ron Metz, president of the Lions Club of Batavia, welcomed Josh Bender, executive director of the GLOW YMCA, who updated club members about YMCA's progress with the ongoing Healthy Living campus project in downtown Batavia. 

The director noted that it started six years ago when a casual group of people had an initial discussion about proposals of remodeling locker rooms. With time, the ideas morphed into a $30 million project shared with Rochester Regional Hospital. 

The grand opening is projected for the fall of this year, with most of the glass enclosure facing Main Street nearing completion. Josh noted three-quarters of the new 80,000-square-foot facility will be occupied by YMCA programming and have children, teens, and multipurpose rooms, as well as the gym, workout rooms, and traditional “Y’ spaces. 

The new project has plans to employ 200 full- and part-time staff, and membership is projected to be 4,000 or more.

Batavia and Notre Dame faced off against each other in both Girls and Boys Basketball in support of a good cause at Genesee Community College.

The Hoops for Hope Tournament benefited the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.

The Notre Dame girls won the first game 29-24. For the Irish, Sofia Falleti scored eight points and had five rebounds. Emma Sisson scored seven points and had 17 rebounds. For the Blue Devils, Isabella Walsh scored 15 points.

In the nightcap, Batavia beat Notre Dame 53-49. Carter Mullen led the Blue Devils with 17 points. Casey Mazur scored 12 points and Gavin White and Justin Smith each scored eight. For the Irish, Jaden Sherwood scored 20 points.

Photos by Pete Welker.

Merritt Holly became Le Roy's all-time leading scorer in a home game against Avon on Friday night.

Holly scored 21 points on the night, moving him to 1,575 career points. The record was previously held by Brendan Fulmer, at 1,559 points, set in 2003.

"It's a great accomplishment," Holly said. "I'm really happy we got it. I got it, and we got it. It's not just a personal goal. It's really a team goal. I would like to thank all my prior teammates, too. It's great for Le Roy. This hasn't been broken in like 20 years, so it's right to finally break it."

The record-breaking goal did come, however, in a 61-46 loss to #1 ranked Avon.

Besides the 21 points, Holly had 10 rebounds.  Adam Woodworth, seven points, Jake Higgins, seven points, and Jean Agosto, four points and six rebounds.

To view or purchase photos, click here.