A brush fire is reported next to a "primary care" building at 29 Liberty St. The location is between School and Ellicott streets. City fire is responding.
UPDATE 4:42 p.m.: The fire was next to an abandoned trailer. Fire is out; doing overhaul.
UPDATE 5:37 p.m.: City Fire is back in service.
Photo by Rick Hale.
Video by Rick Hale.
Press release:
Please be advised there will be a City Council Conference Meeting scheduled for Monday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Council Board Room on the second floor of the Batavia City Centre. This meeting is open to the public. Face masks and social distancing will be required.
Options for viewing the meeting:
The agenda is posted on the City website.
Press release:
As of 2 p.m.:
Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
Masses this weekend at Resurrection Parish in Batavia are cancelled due to some individuals that came to a funeral at St. Joseph's last week.
Here's a note from Rev. Ivan R. Trujillo, pastor at Resurrection RC Parish, Batavia:
I regret having to advise our parishioners that I am taking a pre-emptive measure and cancelling our weekend Masses for Nov. 21st and 22nd, as well as on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26th. Weekend and Thanksgiving Masses will be online through Facebook and our website as usual.
We have been notified by the Health Department that five members of a family attending a funeral last week have tested positive for COVID-19.
As we have been strictly following all of the recommended guidelines by the State and our Diocese -- such as wearing masks, social distancing, limiting the number of people attending, movement around the church, and disinfecting the entire interior of the church after EVERY Mass -- I believe we are doing the best we can to stay safe.
In addition, we have notified the Diocese regarding our situation. However, we cannot know for certain that everyone entering our church is healthy.
We will be temporarily closed to have some extra cleaning done and continue to disinfect every day (even though no one will be in the church).
I hope everyone will feel comfortable returning to Mass on the (Nov.) 28th.
Sincerely,
Fr. Ivan
Health Alert
From the Genesee County Health Department:
The Genesee County Health Department has received seven positive COVID-19 tests from individuals who attended funeral service arrangements on the following dates and locations:
Contact tracing is in progress; however unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the positive cases.
We advise all individuals who were at the locations listed to monitor their symptoms for 14 days.
If symptoms of COVID-19 develop, contact your primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until you receive your test results.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include but are not limited to: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.
For more information please visit: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home
Press release:
With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, we here at T.F. Brown’s Restaurant have decided to give our staff the week of Sunday, Nov. 22 through Saturday, Nov. 28 off to enjoy their families. During this very stressful time we are most concerned for the safety and well-being of our staff and loyal customers.
Mancuso Bowling Center will remain open for league play only at the usual times.
We, as everyone in our community, are trying to manage the safety of our dedicated staff the best we can and this planned break, we believe, is in their best interest and the best interest of the community at large.
We would like to wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving week and we will see you when we reopen Nov. 29th.
Rick Mancuso
T.F. Brown’s Restaurant
Mancuso Bowling Center
Above, "Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse" by Charles Malone, of Oakfield, who uses soils from the area to color his work.
Submitted images and press release:
This week marked the opening of the "Genesee Valley 100: A Community Painting Project" of the Genesee Valley Conservancy.
The project had only two simple directives for artists: use the provided 12X12 canvas, and paint something inspired by the Genesee Valley.
Organized by Genesee Valley Conservancy, a nonprofit celebrating 30 years of protecting habitat, open space, and farmland within the Genesee Valley, this project aims to capture the beauty and undefinable essence that the organization has been working to protect.
The Genesee Valley 100 exhibit of paintings is viewable online on the Conservancy’s website and in person during regular business hours at the Silver Lake Brewing Project in Perry (Wyoming County) through the end of the year. It is located at 14 Borden Ave.
Online is where all sales take place, which benefit both the local artist and the Conservancy.
This year, three Genesee County artists participated and one close by in Attica: Charles Malone, of Oakfield; David Burke, of Bergen; Susan Kinney, of Oakfield, and Linda Fix, of Attica.
In creating such a collection of work and exhibiting them to the public, the organization hopes to inspire people to recognize the importance of the local lands and natural resources that surround and benefit us. Lands that future generations will be grateful if we properly care for them today.
Agricultural lands provide jobs and local food, supporting a large part of our rural economy. Lakes providing drinking water depend on the open spaces and forests surrounding them to naturally filter runoff so it is clean and safe to drink. Thriving habitat provides unique places to explore, recreate and enjoy fresh air while breaking from screens and devices.
A range of diverse styles are on display and artists of all levels of experiences participated. High school students and amateurs have pieces hung next to lifelong and professional painters. This is another unique part of this show. No one is juried to get in. Everyone interested is welcome to submit their painting, no questions asked.
The goal is to see what inspires people about the Genesee Valley and, in turn, present those images to the public to inspire others to recognize what a beautiful and special place we live.
While each individual piece warrants up close inspection, hung together at the brewery the collection is an impressive mosaic that is a work of art itself.
In trying to reach a broad audience for the project, the show is intentionally hung in a nontraditional space for art, that is to say, not in a gallery. The hope is people not seeking art out will be confronted by the project and be exposed to some great local artists and to images of our beautiful landscape.
Paintings represent locations within the Genesee Valley from the headwaters of the Genesee River in Pennsylvania all the way to the shores of Lake Ontario, and everywhere in between.
Forty-three communities are represented by painters this year. Fifty-one artists are first-time participants in the Genesee Valley 100. Thirty-four return from 2018, the first year of the project, that also featured original paintings. Eighteen artists this year are returning from last year’s project, which was oriented just to photographers, but held the same 12x12 requirement and that the work be of the Genesee Valley.
About Genesee Valley Conservancy
It is a nationally accredited nonprofit conservation organization working to protect the habitat, open space and farmland in the Genesee River watershed. Over 21,360 acres of natural habitat and productive farm and forest land have been conserved by Genesee Valley Conservancy and private landowners. The organization also owns nature preserves open to the public year-round for recreation and education.
For more information visit www.geneseevalleyconservancy.org
Below, "Bergen Swamp Trail" by David Burke, of Bergen.
Below, "Rainy Morning at Armson Farms" by Susan Kinney, of Pavilion.
Below, "Nature's Wonder" by Linda Fix, of Attica.
Below, a portion of the 12" by 12" works in this year's "Genesee Valley 100: A Community Painting Project."
U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccines to fight COVID-19 can’t come fast enough for Paul Pettit, public health director for Genesee and Orleans counties, who is worried that the two local counties are about to move into deeper levels of New York State-mandated restrictions.
“I believe we’re probably on the verge of potentially going Yellow,” Pettit said today during a Zoom videoconference for business owners and managers set up by the county Chamber of Commerce.
About 50 people logged in to the session, which lasted 45 minutes.
Pettit said the data and metrics of the state’s micro-cluster program featuring color-coded zones point to Genesee and Orleans at least going into the Yellow zone, and possibly to Orange.
“We’re not quite there yet that we know of,” he said. “The data and the metrics of how this is made up – I’m not saying it is secretive – but really the state is the one that is tracking all of this. It is driven by zip code and census tract and it’s based on the positivity rate within those census tracts and those zip codes.”
He said there are some areas in the City and Town of Batavia that are “probably getting close, potentially triggering that level, so we are monitoring that closely.”
Pettit went over the micro-cluster scheme, noting that the Finger Lakes Region control room, which the two counties are part of, is supposed to give the health department advance warning if the region will be placed into the Yellow category.
“We have not gotten that call yet, so I’m hopeful that means that we’re not going to be going Yellow next week. We’re still waiting to hear,” he said.
In Genesee County, designated a Tier 3 county by the state, it will be placed into the Yellow Zone if the geographic area has seven-day rolling average positivity above 3.5 percent for 10 days and the geographic area has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on seven-day average.
It will go to Orange if it has a seven-day rolling average positivity above 4.5 percent for 10 days and has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on seven-day average.
And it will move into Red if it has a seven-day rolling average positivity above 5.5 percent for 10 days and has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on seven-day average.
The criteria are similar for Orleans County, a Tier 4 county.
“I think we’re getting close to this. Our raw numbers definitely put us above three-and-a-half in Genesee (3.9 percent) and for Orleans, it’s 4 percent for Yellow and we’re definitely above that,” Pettit said. “From the numbers, we may even be in jeopardy of going into the Orange level.”
Increased spread of the coronavirus will result in more restrictions to businesses, mass gatherings, places of worship, dining establishments and schools, Pettit said, and could mean reverting to lockdown measures implemented at the outset of the pandemic in the spring.
But, there is hope, Pettit said, in the news that a vaccine is around the corner.
“That’s a big positive that we’re finally moving toward. We’re getting to the point now (where) two manufacturers (Pfizer and Moderna) that have basically completed their Phase 3 trials and have published their findings … both of those seem very promising,” he said.
“They’re both reporting over 95-percent efficacy, so that’s a great number that actually rivals some of our long-term, other standard immunizations for measles, mumps, rubella. Those are around 97- to 98-percent effective.”
Pettit said that once the companies receive emergency use authorization from the FDA they will be “pumping out … 20 million doses by the end of the year from each one, and they’re going to keep ramping them up.”
He also indicated that other manufacturers are developing vaccines, and more will be available after the first of the year.
“That’s really what we have been waiting for … so we can start getting our folks protected and moving beyond these restrictions,” he said.
Pettit said the local health department has a mass vaccination plan in place that mirrors the state’s in that the first phase will target people at the highest risk – nursing homes, vulnerable populations, health care workers – and that later phases will provide immunization to those with underlying conditions and the general public.
He spoke of “closed pods” – giving the vaccine in doses of 500 to 600, for example, at nursing homes, senior facilities and health care systems.
“Once that starts opening up, obviously, we will be utilizing our community partners – pharmacies, health care providers, us (health department) conducting public clinics – trying to get this vaccine out as quickly as we can to the public,” he said.
Pettit said businesses could be included in this process and asked owners of larger companies to let him know if they are interested in holding a “closed pod.”
The public health director’s comments on related areas:
Shout-out to the Business Community
“We know that it has been a long nine months and it doesn’t seem to be getting much better. We’re entering a new phase here, so to speak, and things seem to be getting a little more active, and we have our new micro-cluster strategy that the governor has put out there,” he said.
“Overall, you guys have done a great job. While we looked at the type of case contacting in businesses over the last five, seven, eight, nine months, it really does show that you guys have taken this seriously. You guys have put together very solid and appropriate COVID plans. I know that it has not been easy. A lot of you have struggled through this – financially and trying to stay open and delivering the services in a safe and effective way.”
He said his department is advocating on their behalf.
“We’re well aware that the governor is calling the shots on these different strategies and how he’s putting restrictions in place, but we do advocate – we try to push back locally through our state association on things that don’t make sense. Why are we doing this or why do we have to have these types of restrictions?”
Providing Current COVID Numbers
“Obviously, our numbers have been increasing significantly, locally, and we continue to share those on a daily basis,” he said. “In Genesee County, we’re averaging close to 20 cases per day.”
Pettit said there were 281 positive cases in the county on Sept. 1; 311 on Oct. 1; 375 on Nov. 1; and 635 as of yesterday.
“From October 1st to now we’ve doubled our positive cases, and from November 1st – less than three weeks -- we have over 250 cases in Genesee County alone,” he said. “Orleans’ data tracks very similarly – a little less, but proportionately about the same.”
In Genesee County, almost 700 people are in mandatory quarantine with over 130 active cases – the highest numbers since the pandemic took hold.
“With that, our cases and our case investigations are identifying 10, 15, 20, 25 exposures per positive case, which is really driving a lot of these quarantine numbers,” he reported.
Driven by Two Types of Situations
-- Social gatherings, such as parties, birthday parties, gatherings after Halloween, based on actual data.
“Social distancing, masking is not being adhered to on the private side of life,” Pettit said. “You guys on the business side have to follow your safety plans and are required to make sure people wear masks when they come into the store, employees are masked and social distanced, but that’s not the case, obviously, when some folks go home or are having gatherings.”
-- Workplace exposures, primarily driven by employees working symptomatic.
“It’s difficult this time of year when we’re in our traditional flu season and other types of colds and viruses are circulating – everybody has sniffles and a little scratchy throat, but unfortunately, these are all COVID symptoms,” he said. “What we’ve been seeing over the past month and a half is related to workers coming to work and having mild symptoms, but they work anyways, and depending on the practice in the work environment around masking and distancing, it has led toward fairly significant transition and spread between coworkers. They take it home to their families, share it with their loved ones and there goes the cycle.”
Pettit mentioned the latest restrictions mandating bars, restaurants, gyms and bowling centers to close at 10 p.m. and the “controversial” decision to limit private gatherings to 10 or less.
“Obviously, that’s (the 10 person limit) is impossible to enforce and there is no local push for that. It’s more educational on our side … encouraging folks to think about their exposure and risk,” he said.
Data from the Finger Lakes Region
Pettit reported that in the Finger Lakes Region, which includes Monroe County, the seven-day rolling average is 343 positive cases. In Genesee County, the seven-day rolling average is hovering around 5 percent and in Orleans County, it is more than 6 percent.
The hospitalization rate has jumped from .6 per 100,000 in October to 2.35 per 100,000 now, a cause for concern as flu season approaches, he said, adding that more and more testing is being done each week.
The average age of a person testing positive in the region is 39, with 1 percent of the population reporting COVID-like symptoms on a daily basis. In schools, there have been 604 positive cases involving students and 279 involving teachers.
Options for Those to Get Tested
Pettit talked about traveling out of state and the testing that needs to be done upon return, but said many are hampered due to a shortage of testing sites and the likelihood that these optional test won’t be covered by insurance.
“Testing continues to be limited in Genesee and Orleans counties,” he said. “Sen. (Charles) Schumer was out yesterday (in Medina) talking about rural testing and trying to increase capacity for all rural counties. Bottom line, it still is symptomatic testing. We are working on partnering with UMMC and Oak Orchard Health to try to increase rapid testing in our communities, but we don’t have a lot of access to the test kits.”
He said free testing sites run by the state are at Monroe Community College, Niagara County Community College and at the Buffalo Sabres’ parking lot in Downtown Buffalo. They are open seven days a week and appointments are required.
“I encourage folks to utilize that as needed especially for travel-related or screening -- for maybe going to a nursing home to visit a loved one or (to go to) school, whatever the need may be,” he said.
For more information, go to https://forward.ny.gov/
A large field that is spreading fast, according to a deputy on the scene, is reported at 644 Reynolds Road. It's next to a house.
Darien Fire Department is responding and mutual aid from Corfu is requested.
The first field is at the corner of Reynolds and Fargo roads.
UPDATE 2 p.m.: Command reports the fire is about two acres in size.
UPDATE 2:15 p.m.: UTVs are requested from East Pembroke and Alexander fire departments.
UPDATE 2:36 p.m.: The UTVs were not needed and put back in service. The fire is out.
UPDATE 3:22: Fire responders back in service.
Daquan J. Butler, 24, of Kosciuskio Street, Brooklyn, is charged with: harassment; endangering the welfare of a child; and fourth-degree menacing. At 2:26 p.m. on Nov. 13, Butler was arrested by Batavia Police Officer Peter Post after a domestic incident at a motel on Oak Street in the City of Batavia. Butler allegedly damaged a hotel door during the incident, then kicked a woman while in the presence of children. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in City of Batavia Court on Dec. 1.
Kyle Douglas Clark, 30, of Fletcher Street, Tonawanda, is charged with second degree harassment -- physical contact. It is alleged that at 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 15 at a hotel on Park Road in Batavia that Clark pushed a staff member during an altercation. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia Town Court on Dec. 9. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush, assisted by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun.
Ridge A. Bono, 29, of Williams Street, Batavia, is charged with obstructing emergency medical services. On Nov. 17, following an medical emergency at 10:40 p.m. Nov. 16 on West Main Street in Batavia, Bono was arrested on the charge. He was issued an appearance ticket to be in Batavia City Court on Dec. 15. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jonathan Dimmig, assisted by Sgt. Andrew Hale
Randy K. Wilmet, 43, of Debra Lane, Buffalo, is charged with third-degree menacing. Wilmet was arrested at 10:58 a.m. on Nov. 12 after a report of a disturbance on East Main Street in Batavia. Wilmet was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Dec. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Post, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.
Floyd Spencer Connolly, 32, of Broadway Road, Bethany, is charged with trespass. Connolly was arrested at 3:08 p.m. on Nov. 12 on East Main Street in Batavia after a disturbance was reported. He was given an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court Dec. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Post, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.
Woodrow C. Horseman, 44, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with trespass. Horseman was arrested at 3:08 p.m. on Nov. 12 on East Main Street in Batavia after a disturbance was reported. He was given an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court Dec. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Post, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.
Press release:
Cornell Cooperative Extension – Executive Director Candidate Public Presentations
The public is invited to virtual public presentations of the candidates for the position of Executive Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County.
They will take place on Monday afternoon, Nov. 30:
Please visit genesee.cce.cornell.edu for Zoom links.
Any questions can be directed to Yvonne Peck at (585) 343-3040, ext. 123, or email: genesee@cornell.edu
Notre Dame High School dominated Jasper-Troupsburg all game, winning 4-0. Autumn Mathisen earned game MVP, and scored 3 of the 4 goals of the game.
It is the first Section V title in girls soccer for Notre Dame.
Photos by Philip Casper.
Captains Arabella Rogers #23, Autumn Mathisen #22, and Rachel Nickerson #15.
Notre Dame is the Section D2 champion.
Autumn Mathisen #22 kicking her third goal of the game.
Hannah Tenney
Arabella Rogers
Coach Jarrod Clark
Autumn Mathisen #22 with a front flip throw in.
Sophi Johnston
A tree is down in the area of 9029 Alleghany Road, Corfu, blocking both lanes of travel.
The second driver involved in a head-on collision on Route 19 in Bergen yesterday afternoon has died.
Gary C. Beehler, 82, succumbed to his injuries, the Sheriff's Office reported this morning.
Beehler's 2007 Chrysler Town & Country minivan was struck by a 2014 Toyota RAV4 driven by Caroline F. Bianchi, 74, of Bergen. Bianchi was pronounced dead at the scene.
Previously: Bergen woman dies in collision on Route 19
Cornstalks in a field are reportedly on fire behind 39 Farnsworth Ave., Oakfield.
Oakfield fire, which had been assisting with the incident in Alabama, is responding to the field fire.
Mutual aid from Elba requested to the scene.
UPDATE 11:05 a.m. The fire is being driven by the wind toward South Pearl. Responders are looking for best access point. One responder "we can get this."
UPDATE 11:08 a.m.: Elba can go back in service.
UPDATE 11:10 a.m.: Elba requested back to the scene emergency mode. There's a flare-up behind a house. "It's getting out of control on us."
UPDATE 11:13 a.m.: A brush truck from Town of Batavia requested to the scene. Also, a local farmer is requested to the scene. "We may have to destroy some of his corn."
UPDATE 11:24 a.m.: "A lot of the fire is knocked down in the field."
A fire is reported at 6442 Knowlesville Road, Alabama.
A second alarm was requested then canceled.
Knowlesville Road is closed to through traffic.
Alabama Fire is on scene.
UPDATE 11:06 a.m.: Fire under control; overhaul in progress.
In what one county legislator called a “career project,” a plan to upgrade the firing range on State Street Road in the Town of Batavia finally has a target date in its sights.
The Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday approved a resolution to transfer $11,514.63 from the Emergency Management Services training ground project to the Firing Range Upgrades Project, with the money to be used to build a shed for range users to reload their guns and for storage.
The full legislature will consider the measure on Monday.
“This project has been languishing a little bit over the years and now, as it is finalized, hopefully will provide the funds for us to move the firing range from right next to the fire training center out into the new ‘bowl’ – as I refer to it – a huge berm,” County Manager Matt Landers reported to the committee.
Landers said the primary use of the aforementioned funds is to put up a “Duro Shed-type facility where the individuals who are shooting can have something to get out of the weather and the elements, with some light when it’s dark out, and to reload their ammo and everything they need to do to shoot their gun.”
Noting that this has been in the works for about 15 years, Landers said the shed is expected to be built next spring inside the berm – closing out phase one of the project.
He said that the county’s Emergency Management department is pleased by this development as “no more shots will be fired so close to its building, which has been a concern of theirs for all this time.”
Phase two calls for erecting a more permanent structure for classroom training, potentially in 2022.
“We will evaluate phase two in the next year or so to see if we have the resources to do that,” Landers said.
Gary Maha, former Genesee County sheriff and current legislator, called it a “career project, for sure,” and said it was his understanding that the new range will allow law enforcement personnel the ability to qualify with their rifles.
“Now they can’t because the current range is not long enough,” he said, adding that shooters have to go to other places for qualification purposes.
Landers agreed, citing a resolution from 1984 that stipulates what types of firearms can be used at the location.
“There will be another resolution in the future that will allow us to use the rifle at that range. Currently, the resolution on the books excludes us from using a rifle,” he said.
The county manager credited Highway Superintendent Tim Hens and his crew for crafting an impressive range.
“The berms are all the way around it – 20-plus feet high and thick -- to allow for stray bullets to go into the berms,” he said. “It’s a very safe shooting range, but it takes time because you have to build up all of that dirt. So, they have been using fill for the past two years from different projects that have leftover dirt, transporting it and piling it up. And once it’s piled up, you have to seed it.”
Hens confirmed that the berms are 20 feet high and 60 feet wide at the base, with the range distance at 150 yards long inside the bowl and about 50 yards wide.
Photo: Overhead view of the layout on State Street Road, courtesy of Genesee County Emergency Management Services.
Nya Thomas, softball standout at Notre Dame High School, has signed with Genesee Community College. Thomas is the daughter of Otis and Nicole Thomas.
Photo*: Teagyn Thomas, Nya Thomas, Nicole Thomas, Gunnar Thomas; Back row. JC Kabel Edge (her coach on her travel team), and Mike Rapone, ND's athletic director.
*Otis Thomas was in quarantine and couldn't attend the signing.
Submitted photo and information.
Byron-Bergen's girls' soccer team came up a goal short in an overtime loss to Geneseo on Wednesday night to miss out on a Section V Class C1 title.
Emma Starowitz scored the Bees' only goal.
Athletic Director Rich Hannan (who submitted the team photo) said, "we couldn't be more proud of them! OT losses always hurt but they stayed positive. A great group of kids."
Also in girls' soccer sectional finals on Wednesday, Le Roy lost to Bath-Haverling 5-1.
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