Submitted photo and press release:

If the COVID-19 pandemic is stressing you out, the whole family can get some relief with yoga classes. They are held online and brought to you by the Hollwedel Memorial Library. 

There are two live sessions scheduled this month: one especially for adults and one for just for the children. The sessions will be livestreamed on Facebook on the library’s wall. 

The adult session will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27, and will be perfect for all levels including beginners.

“If you have never attended a Yoga class, this will be a great start,” says Josselyn Borowiec, library director and a trained and certified yoga instructor. “Yoga has many benefits and has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety and is good for the heart, blood pressure, bone density, strengthening and balance.” 

Yoga for the kids will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30. The focus is on fun during this yoga class and always includes a story.

“The yoga class for the kids is a great time to get some exercise, and we have been known to share some laughs as we learn,” says Borowiec, who also leads this session. 

Information about these online yoga programs, as well as the other programs and services available at the library, can be found on the library’s website at www.HollwedelLibrary.org.

Residents with questions can also contact the library by phone at (585) 584-8843 or stop by 5 Woodrow Drive in Pavilion.

Currently, hours are:

• Monday and Wednesday 2 to 7 p.m.
• Friday 1 to 5 p.m.
• Saturday 10 a.m. to noon
• Closed Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays

Photo: Yoga instructor and Hollwedel Library Director Josselyn Borowiec* will be leading adults and children in two online yoga classes on Jan. 27 and Jan. 30.

* RYT® 200 -- successfully completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training and registered with Yoga Alliance.

Press release:

Registration is now available for kindergarten and prekindergarten students in the Byron-Bergen Central School District.

The District plans to once again offer a half-day universal prekindergarten (UPK) program at the Byron-Bergen Elementary School. The UPK program is focused on socialization, learning through play, and self-exploration.

Children learn through a hands-on learning environment that includes activities, learning centers, concrete materials, and manipulatives. Students learn through a nurturing environment that is enriching, challenging, and developmentally appropriate.

Students must turn 4 years of age by Dec. 1 to be eligible for the program.

Those with an eligible child interested in attending the UPK program should send a letter of interest by Friday, April 9 with child’s name, parents’ names, address, phone number, and date of birth to:

Brian Meister

Byron-Bergen Elementary School Principal

6971 W. Bergen Road

Bergen, NY 14416-9747

Those who have already contacted the Elementary School by phone will still need to send in a letter to be eligible for UPK. If interest exceeds allowed capacity, students will be selected using a lottery system.

Children who will be 5 years of age, on or before Dec. 1 are eligible for entrance to kindergarten in September of 2021. New families in the school district should notify the school if they have a child that will enter kindergarten in September.

Parents may contact the Elementary School Office by calling 494-1220, ext. 1301. Information may also be sent to the Byron-Bergen Elementary School, 6917 W. Bergen Road, Bergen, NY 14416-9747.

All children registering for kindergarten will be scheduled for a screening appointment this summer. The results of this screening will be used to plan for the 2021-2022 kindergarten program.

The following items are necessary to complete the registration process: child’s birth certificate; certificate of immunization; proof of residency; and completed registration packet.

Additional information and kindergarten registration packets are available here.

Press release:

In one of his first acts in office, President Joe Biden requested federal agencies to extend eviction and foreclosure moratoriums for millions of Americans.

In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an extension of eviction and foreclosure moratoriums on USDA Single Family Housing Direct and Guaranteed loans (SFHDLP and SFHGLP) through March 31. The actions announced today will bring relief to residents in rural America who have housing loans through USDA.

USDA recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an almost unprecedented housing affordability crisis in the United States. Today, 1 in 10 homeowners with a mortgage are behind on payments.

In addition to the actions taken, the Biden Administration looks forward to working with Congress to take more robust and aggressive actions to bring additional relief to American families and individuals impacted by the pandemic.

Visit www.rd.usda.gov/coronavirus for additional information on USDA’s Rural Development COVID-19 relief efforts application deadline extensions and more. USDA Rural Development will keep our customers, partners and stakeholders continuously updated as additional actions are taken to bring relief and development to rural America.

Foreclosure Moratorium Extension

The actions announced today make it possible for the foreclosure and eviction moratorium announced by USDA, Single Family Housing Direct Loan Program (SFHGLP) and the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP) on Aug. 28 to be extended until March 31. The moratorium does not apply in cases where USDA or the servicing lender has documented the property is vacant or abandoned.

Forbearance Requirements

Lenders should continue to provide impacted borrowers relief in accordance with the CARES Act by offering forbearance of the borrower guaranteed loan payment for up to 180 days. In addition, the initial forbearance period may be extended up to an additional 180 days at the borrower’s request. Lenders should outline potential solutions that may be available at the end of the forbearance payment and explain to borrowers that a lump sum payment of the arrearage will not be required.

During the forbearance options outlined above, no accrual of fees, penalties or interest may be charged to the borrower beyond the amounts calculated as if the borrower had made all contractual payments in a timely fashion.

Lenders may approve the initial 180-day COVID-19 Forbearance no later than the earlier of the termination date of the national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020 or March 31.

Post Forbearance Options

Upon completion of the forbearance, the lender shall work with the borrower to determine if they can resume making regular payments and, if so, either offer an affordable repayment plan or term extension to defer any missed payments to the end of the loan. If the borrower is unable to resume making regular payments, the lender should evaluate the borrower for all available loss mitigation options outlined in HB-1-3555.

The special relief measured that are outlined in Chapter 18 Section 5 “Assistance in Natural Disasters” will apply. These options include Term Extensions, Capitalization and Term Extensions, and a Mortgage Recovery Advance.

Press release:

Genesee County today announced that COVID-19 vaccinations will be administered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and from 2 to 5 p.m. at Genesee Community College (1 College Road, Batavia) starting Monday, Jan. 25.  

Orleans County today announced that its COVID-19 vaccinations will be administered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. starting Tuesday, Jan. 26, at the Ridgeway Fire Hall (11392 Ridge Road, Medina).

Vaccinations at both sites will be conducted inside and are based on the availability of the vaccine.

Vaccinations for the GCC vaccine clinics are through online appointment only at: https://on.ny.gov/39CBzSZ.

Vaccinations for the Orleans County vaccine clinic are through online appointment only at: https://on.ny.gov/3qxwnHb.

People should not be calling the health departments, vaccination sites such as pharmacies or their provider to schedule a test.

The registration links will direct people to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) website specific to available appointments for that provider. If a person visits the Genesee County Department of Health Vaccine webpage (http://bit.ly/39bfElNGOHealthVaccine), clicks the Clinic Schedule button, and clicks one of the listed provider links to schedule an appointment, they will be directed to the appointment page on NYSDOH data management system for that provider’s vaccine clinic.  

Those making appointments should be aware that the state appointment system has experienced technical issues due to the volume of people trying to access it for appointments.

If a person tries to schedule an appointment at a local pharmacy e.g. Tops Markets, Rite-Aid, etc., by visiting their website, whatever link you click on will direct you to the NYSDOH website for that location. Providers’ clinic schedules are subject to change based on vaccine availability.

“As we have stressed since the vaccine became available and the number of people eligible to receive the vaccine has increased significantly, we are urging people to be patient,” said Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments Director Paul Pettit.

“Everything regarding scheduling a vaccine appointment, no matter if you are trying through the county health department through a local pharmacy or for the state-run clinics. is being funneled to the state’s data management page.”

Pettit noted that at this time, there are approximately 50,000 residents in Genesee and Orleans counties eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine and approximately 1,600 doses available this week, although all appointments are full. Vaccine allocation is on a week-by-week schedule, with the possibility of no vaccine to each of the providers requesting it.

“This is resulting in people receiving the message of ‘no appointments available’ when clicking on the link and we are being told anecdotally that some people keep clicking on the link for hours at a time and getting this same message,” Pettit said.

“We don’t want to deter people for going online and trying to schedule an appointment, but we want to make them aware of what to expect because it can get frustrating very easily.”

Please continue to monitor http://bit.ly/39bfElNGOHealthVaccine and the state site (https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/) for a list of additional clinics to receive the vaccine.

Press release:

Two members of the Toyota of Batavia Thursday 5-Man League at Mancuso Bowling Center found perfection last week -- each right-hander registering their third United States Bowling Congress-certified 300 game.

On lanes 15-16, 40-year-old Justin Burdick of Olean fired 300 for the Ken Barrett Chevy team while on lanes 17-18, 63-year-old Ron Lawrence of Batavia did the same for The Expendables team.

Both 300 games came in game two of their respective series, with Burdick finishing with 734 and Lawrence ended with 701.

Top series honors for the night went to Tom Baker of the Eastown Beverage team with a 738.

Elsewhere around the Genesee Region, Rick Saunders of Batavia finished with a 278 game and 775 series in the Turnbull Heating Triples League at Mancuso's, while Rob Husted of Bergen posted a 258 game and 771 series in the Thursday Owls League at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen.

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

Press release:

Genesee County received 55 new positive cases of COVID-19.

• The new positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
  • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield)
  • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
• Fifty-seven of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list. 
• Fifteen of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
• We are saddened to report the loss of an individual over the age of 65 who resided at Genesee Senior Living. We do not provide any further information to protect the privacy of the individual and their family. Our deepest condolences to the family and friends during this very difficult time.

Orleans County received 28 new positive cases of COVID-19. 

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s.
• Zero of the new positive individuals were on quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Twenty of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Thirteen of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Four of the new positive cases are residents of Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
• We are sorry to report the COVID-19 related death of a community member. The individual is over 65. We will not report any further details to protect the privacy of the individual and their family. We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual during this very sad time.

COVID-19 related fatality data: The Health Departments are only able to report the number of COVID-related deaths that are provided to us by the hospitals, nursing homes, and family members. The hospitals and nursing homes are not required to report these deaths to the local health departments but have been as they are able. Please note the chart will now include the state fatalities link on Monday – Thursday and will include the state’s updated data on the Friday report. The State updates the data as they receive it and can be seen here:  http://bit.ly/NYSFatalityData

The counties will continue to report the COVID-related fatalities as we receive them locally in the narrative and update the fatality total number of deaths on a weekly basis only. 

There have been 56 confirmed COVID-related deaths at nursing homes in Genesee County, according to data from the State Health Department.

Before yesterday, not all of those deaths were included in Genesee County's Health Department regular COVID-19 briefing, which created a public discrepancy between what the County was reporting and what the state was reporting for total deaths locally.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, there were 99 confirmed COVID-related deaths of Genesee County residents, a number that was more than double what the county had been reporting in previous reports.

Nursing homes are not required to report deaths to local officials, only to the state.

The state is reporting deaths at:

• Le Roy Village Green, 22
• Premier Genesee, 10
• Grand Rehabilitation, 6
• NYS Vets Home, 18

Genesee County is gearing up to undertake a host of bridge and culvert projects this spring and summer, including some projects that were put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens told the Public Service Committee on Tuesday.

The better news might be that contractors are eager for work, meaning lower bids on projects.

The committee agreed to recommend to the full legislature a $1.8 million contract for three culvert projects to Union Concrete Construction Corp. of West Seneca.

That bid is about $400,000 less than the engineer estimated, Hens said.

"It's just that the contractors are starving right now," Hens said. "Thankfully, there's been no drawback on state and federal money so there's an empty slate of work and the contractors are all anxious to get back to work and get stuff moving."

The three projects were bundled together, which may have also helped the county save some money, Hens said.

The resolution for the bid also includes hiring CHA Consulting out of Buffalo to handle project inspections. The cost, under the terms of the contract, will not exceed $340,000.

The three projects being awarded to Union Concrete are Meadville Road ($458,527), Sharrick Road ($727,508), and Tower Hill Road ($581,349).

Other anticipated projects in 2021 include a bridge on Hundredmark Road in Elba, the bridge at South Lyons (currently in the design phase), and Darien Alexander Townline Road (also in design).

The projects are funded by BridgeNY, which covers 95 percent of the costs.

Also related to the Highway Department, recommended for approval:

• Purchase of a 6x4 dump truck for $242,371.
• Purchase of a 1/2 ton pickup truck for $31,735.
• Purchase of a skid steer loader for $56,354.
• And for the airport, purchase of Jet-A Refueler for $189,600, and purchase of a AvGas Refueler for $134,990.

A couple dozen protesters outside the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia yesterday afternoon wanted to be heard by detainees inside so they know there are people who support their health and safety, said Mary Rutigliano.

Rutigliano, a Genesee County resident aligned with the Rochester Rapid Response Network, said there have been COVID-19 positive detainees transferred to Batavia and five of the detainees are on hunger strike.

"If you make enough noise, people on the inside can hear," Rutigliano said. "Last week, we were outside of the ICE field office where Thomas Feeley works, the same office as Delaware North in Buffalo, letting them know and this was part of an effort to let the people here know they don't have as much of a community, (but) there are people out here in this rural area that support them and want them to keep up their efforts."

Feeley, the director of the Enforcement and Removal Office in Buffalo, said there are only two detainees on hunger strike. One was transferred from New Jersey for medical reasons (BFDF has its own medical unit) and his current immigration case is under appeal.

The other case, he said, is being deported and his hunger strike just started.

As for COVID-positive cases in the facility, Feeley said there are currently three in the facility. One was arrested by the border patrol, the other transferred from an outside hospital, and one was arrested and transferred from Boston. All are asymptomatic, he said, and are quarantined.

Rutigliano claimed that there is a COVID-positive person in a pod with 40 other detainees. Feeley said that wasn't accurate. His statement also contradicted Rutigliano's claim that there are symptomatic detainees in the facility. 

Yesterday's protest drew the attention of State Police after dispatchers received a complaint that protesters were blocking the entrance to the facility. A trooper on scene said the protesters moved to an open space next to the gate when three patrol units arrived. The protesters ended their chanting and banging on pots and pans and dispersed a short time later.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) is releasing the following statement after attending the Inauguration of President Joe Biden.

“It was an honor to represent the citizens of the 27th Congressional District at the 59th Presidential Inauguration to witness the peaceful transition of power that has, and always will be, a cornerstone of our democracy. I wish President Biden and Vice President Harris well as they lead our nation and I commit to working with their administration to advance the interests of Western New York.

“This is a time to move our nation forward and unite. It is not the time for partisan agenda items – but actionable solutions that directly address the serious needs of the American people. We must work together to safely reopen our economy and schools, confront the national security threats facing our nation, and set a course toward future prosperity for small businesses, farmers and workers.

Press release:

On Tuesday, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo outlined the SFY 22 New York State Executive Budget, which calls on Washington to deliver state and local aid. Counties have pledged to continue working with the Governor, State lawmakers, and our NYS Congressional delegation to urge Washington to provide federal funds for states and local governments.

Without this aid, the Governor said he will be forced to make dramatic cuts, which would impact county budgets, place new burdens on local taxpayers, and jeopardize county health and human service programs for the New Yorkers most in need. 

The budget presentation materials supplied by the Division of Budget contained several key proposals that counties proposed in November, including:

• Making local sales tax authority permanent and allowing all counties to go to 4 percent; 
• Collecting of local sales tax on recreational cannabis transactions;
• Reducing in the state's withholding of local aid – contingent upon the amount of federal aid;
• Reducing the judgement interest rates to the market interest rate;
• Extending the authority to piggyback on contracts for two years;
• Allowing shared jails between contiguous counties;
• Providing flexibility in jail staffing;
• Reforming Early Intervention to provide savings and greater flexibility;
• Expanding investment options for local governments.

NYSAC will provide more details from the proposed spending plan as they become available. 

NYSAC President Jack Marren said “While this state budget proposal includes plenty of unknowns, especially whether the federal government will provide state and local COVID response funding, we are optimistic that our county leaders can work with state lawmakers to finalize a budget that strengthens our communities and help rebuild our local economies.

"Our staff of legislative experts at NYSAC will be looking through the budget bills as they become available, and they will report on areas of direct and indirect impact on counties.”

Press release:

“Over the course of an hour today (Jan. 19) the Governor got on TV and continued to blame everyone and everything but himself for our state’s financial woes," said Assemblyman Steve Hawley. "Instead of threatening to sue the federal government if they don’t do enough to bail us out of the mess the Governor had a great deal to do with, he should be talking about what we can do ourselves to cut wasteful spending, because we can’t always rely on Washington to save us from our Governor’s bad spending habits.

"What New Yorkers needed to hear was a detailed plan to work with local governments to distribute vaccines effectively, save our small businesses and help families keep food on their tables, but all they got today were a few helpful proposals mixed among a sea of wasteful ones, including a proposal to spend $10 million this year on helping illegal immigrants pay their legal fees. Now more than ever we need to tighten our belts fiscally and focus on what matters, and I am disappointed today’s budget address did neither.”

A car has reportedly hit a utility pole, with wires down, at Fargo Road and Main Road, Stafford.

Stafford fire along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

A two-vehicle accident with a possible injury is reported on Route 20 at East Road in Bethany.

Bethany fire and ambulance dispatched.

Pavilion fire asked to standby in quarters.

UPDATE 9:03 a.m.: A patient is disoriented and is being cared for inside a neighboring residence.

UPDATE 10:09 a.m.: Patient being transported to UMMC for evaluation.

Press release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a proposal to boost partial Unemployment Insurance benefits to New Yorkers who return to work part time as part of the 2021 State of the State.

The plan will ensure unemployed New Yorkers who accept part-time work are not penalized by basing their partial unemployment benefits on the hours they actually work, rather than the number of days they work in a given week. This change will inject more money into New York's economy while helping businesses fill part-time positions.

Legislation to be submitted with the Executive Budget will permanently enact a Partial UI program to incentivize unemployed New Yorkers to assume a part-time job as they search for full-time work, with a revised calculation made possible by technological improvements currently underway.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, New York State has distributed more than $62 billion in unemployment benefits to 4 million New Yorkers -- representing over 29 typical years' worth of benefits paid in just 10 months. This includes more than $1 billion paid during the week of Jan. 4, 2021 to New Yorkers through newly extended federal unemployment programs, which New York implemented weeks ahead of most other states.

"The COVID pandemic has created dual crises, putting Americans' physical health and financial wellbeing at risk -- and in New York we are addressing both sides of this public health emergency. I am immediately directing the Department of Labor to change outdated rules so as we build back from the pandemic, unemployed New Yorkers aren't penalized for taking part-time jobs," Governor Cuomo said.

"Encouraging part-time work will help New Yorkers get back to work quickly, give small businesses the flexibility needed to navigate these difficult times, and ensure our neighbors have money to put food on the table."

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, "I applaud Governor Cuomo for moving this proposal forward. No New Yorker should be discouraged from taking part-time work for fear of losing critical benefits when they are trying to do what is necessary to provide for their families and transition back into the workforce full time. This new plan is an important pathway for our workforce, our businesses, and our communities."

Under current law, unemployed New Yorkers' weekly benefits are reduced by 25 percent for each day an individual works, regardless of the hours worked -- unfairly penalizing those who accept part-time jobs. This meant that anyone who worked four or more days -- even if they only worked one hour per day -- would have to forfeit their entire weekly benefit.

In order to fix this illogical system of partial unemployment, Governor Cuomo will direct the Department of Labor to immediately implement emergency measures that base partial unemployment benefits on the number of hours actually worked over the course of a week.

Under this new system, unemployed New Yorkers can work up to seven days per week and still receive some unemployment benefits as long as they work fewer than 30 hours and earn no more than $504 in gross pay. The new method of calculating partial benefits is outlined below:

• New Yorkers who work between zero and four hours in a week and earn no more than $504 will receive their full unemployment benefit;
• New Yorkers who work between four and 10 hours in a week and earn no more than $504 will receive 75 percent of their unemployment benefit;
• New Yorkers who work between 10 and 20 hours in a week and earn no more than $504 will receive half of their unemployment benefit;
• New Yorkers who work between 20 and 30 hours in a week and earn no more than $504 will receive 25 percent of their unemployment benefit;
• New Yorkers who work over 30 hours in a week, regardless of earnings, will not receive any of their unemployment benefit.

New Yorkers will still be required to submit weekly certifications online or over the phone to receive their benefits each week. However, to allow the DOL to immediately implement this change, claimants will use a formula to convert the number of hours they work into a number of "days" to report when certifying.

When DOL's certification system asks for the number of days worked, New Yorkers will add together the total number of hours they worked during a given week and use the following chart to determine how their weekly hours worked translates to the number of days they should report when certifying.

The changes will go into effect for work done on or after Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, which unemployed New Yorkers certify for starting on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021.

Hours Worked In A Given Week Number of Days to Report When Certifying Percent Reduction in Benefits 0 4 0 0 4.1 10 1 25% 10.1 20 2 50% 20.1 30 3 75%

When totaling hours for the week, claimants should use a maximum of 10 hours per day, even if they worked more hours during a day.

In order to implement this reform and support unemployed New Yorkers, Governor Cuomo will launch a Workforce Forward Strike Team, which will bring together experts from the DOL, the Governor's Workforce Development Office and the Empire State Development Corporation to connect unemployed New Yorkers seeking part-time employment with small businesses that are looking for part-time workers.

The strike team will also help businesses develop strategies to utilize the flexibility part-time workers provide as they build back from the pandemic.

In addition, Governor Cuomo will direct the DOL to strengthen its Shared Work Program, which enables employers to avoid layoffs by allowing workers to receive partial Unemployment Insurance benefits while working reduced hours. This program, which has been in place since 1986, became a vital lifeline for businesses across the state as they made temporary staff reductions in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Under Governor Cuomo's leadership, the DOL has already reduced required paperwork and improved the plan approval and certification processes, enabling the Shared Work Program to handle a 10-fold increase in the number of plans in 2020 -- helping more than 60,000 New Yorkers stay at work during the coronavirus pandemic. In the coming year, the DOL will conduct targeted outreach efforts and implement new technology that will make it easier for employers to learn about and participate in this critical program.

Press release:

Representatives Chris Jacobs (NY-27), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Tom Reed (NY-23), Lee Zeldin (NY-1), and John Katko (NY-24) are calling upon Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) to apologize for his comments denigrating members of the National Guard.

“Representative Cohen’s reckless comments attacking members of the National Guard are disrespectful and divisive. These men and women proudly serve our nation and have been working nonstop for the past week to ensure our safety and that of the incoming administration tomorrow.  

“New York proudly has over 1,400 members of our National Guard members mobilized to protect our nation’s capitol right now. On behalf of them, and the over 20,000 troops stationed here from across the United States, we demand Rep. Cohen apologize immediately for his reckless and blatantly disrespectful remarks.

Genesee County Police Reform & Reinvention Committee Meeting Jan 19, 2021. The committee will review its draft report.

The Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District invites you to buy tree and shrub seedlings offered in its new 2021 brochure (PDF).

Conservation supplies are also available for sale.

All plants are sold for conservation purposes.

If you'd like some eye-popping visual appeal -- vivid color, you might like to try a species new in the district program this year -- the scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea). In the fall, its leaves are a real nice brilliant red, says District Manager Brad Mudrzynski. The acorn-producing scarlet oak makes a great shade tree.

Also new here this year are cover crop mix seed packets for small gardens -- up to 2,500 square feet. The ground-cover mix, which costs $5.50 per package, helps prevent erosion and holds nutrients like organic compost materials well in the soil.

Orders are filled on a first come, first serve basis. The district reserves the right to substitute species or refund payment if a choice of yours is unavailable.

Cash or check only accepted, checks should be payable to GCSWCD. Orders are due by March 10 on completed order forms (PDF) (Print out, fill in).

Pickup dates are typically between mid to late April and information will be sent after April 1.

For assistance, call the GCSWCD at (585) 343-2362, ext. 5, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Data Update:

o   Genesee County received 168 new positive cases of COVID-19.

• The new positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
  • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield)
  • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
• Correction: The following cases were double-counted and have been retracted from today’s total number of positive cases; A case in his/her 20s from Batavia, a case in his/her 50s from Le Roy, and a case in his/her 80s from Batavia.
• Two hundred and 20 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list. 
• Correction: 14 recoveries have been retracted from today’s number as these individuals are nursing home residents. Persons reported recovered are community members only.
• Eleven of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Two of the new cases are inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center.
• Correction: Three cases previously reported are residents at LeRoy Village Green.

• Orleans County received 56 new positive cases of COVID-19 from Friday afternoon through Tuesday morning. 
• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
• Three of the new positive individuals were on quarantine prior to testing positive.
• One hundred and 47 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation.
• Eighteen of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Three of the new positive cases are residents of Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
• Two of the new positive cases are inmates at the Albion Correctional Facility.
• One of the new positive cases is an inmate at the Orleans Correctional Facility.

COVID-19 related fatality data: The Health Departments are only able to report the number of COVID-related deaths that are provided to us by the hospitals, nursing homes and family members. The hospitals and nursing homes are not required to report these deaths to the local health departments, but have been as they are able. Due to the number of cases over the last 10 months data hasn’t been provided locally on a regular basis.

We do not have real-time fatality data provided by the NYS Department of Health which receives the data from death certificates, hospital and nursing home reporting. NYSDOH recently updated their COVID-19 related fatalities which has resulted in a significant increase for Genesee County as we previously reported. The State updates the data as they receive it and can be seen here.

The counties will continue to report the COVID-related fatalities as we receive them locally in the narrative and update the fatality total number of deaths on a weekly basis only. Today’s data reflects that reconciliation with the State data.