Press release:

Oak Orchard Health is pleased to announce it has received notification that it will be awarded $3.7 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. 

These funds will be used to: expand COVID-19 vaccinations, testing, and treatment for vulnerable populations; deliver preventive and primary health care services to people at higher risk for COVID-19; and expand health centers’ operational capacity during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond, including modifying and improving physical infrastructure and adding mobile units. 

“This is great news for all of us at Oak Orchard Health and is another reminder of the importance of all the work we do,” says Mary Ann Pettibon, CEO Oak Orchard Health.

Oak Orchard Health

Originally founded in 1966, Oak Orchard has grown from a migrant health project into an integrated health center with multiple locations providing health care services for everyone located in the communities we serve. Currently serving more than 26,000 patients at 11 locations, Oak Orchard Health is a recognized patient-centered medical home and 501(c) nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) located in the towns of Albion, Alexander, Batavia, Brockport, Corfu, Lyndonville, Hornell and Warsaw.

Press release:

The patience of thousands of New York seniors and their families has finally been rewarded with relaxed visitation and communal activities now being authorized by the New York State Department of Health, the regulating agency. 

The Department of Health’s new guidelines, issued on March 25^th, has essentially opened the doors again for over 50,000 residents who call the assisted living community their home. This long-awaited guidance is based on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMC) guidelines and allows for visitation more widely and for residents to go on outings without the heavy burden of having to quarantine for 14 days upon return.

“Assisted living residents, family members, providers and staff have been through an extraordinarily difficult year," said Lisa Newcomb, executive director of the Empire State Association of Assisted Living, which includes the Manor House LLC in Le Roy.

"For providers, keeping COVID-19 out of buildings has been the core focus, but the human and emotional costs cannot be overstated. The new guidance will allow more frequent and meaningful interactions between residents and their loved ones.” 

Newcomb makes note of some particularly significant changes that the new guidance makes, including that visitation and other activities will no longer need to be shut down for 14 days for all residents if there is a new positive resident or staff case. In addition, standards for group activities and communal dining have been relaxed.

These changes mean that residents will be able to enjoy time with their fellow residents, that they call friends, and enjoy all the wonderful amenities and activities provided by their assisted living community.

“The vaccine is the game changer," Newcomb said. "The overwhelming majority of our residents are fully vaccinated. Due to the pronounced efficacy of the vaccines in preventing COVID-19, the NYS Department of Health has given residents and providers the much-needed green light to reopen their doors and provide for a more active lifestyle for the seniors in our care."

About Empire State Association of Assisted Living

It's a not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening New York State's assisted living sector and promoting the best interests of providers and residents.

The Western New York National Cemetery is open and accepting donations of interment flags for their Avenue of Flags program. This is a stunning presentation of flags lining the lanes of the National Cemetery.

To donate your interment flag to be flown in memory and in honor of your loved one or more information contact us at (585) 344-4295 or info@bataviafuneralhomes.com

Of the 143 national cemeteries in the United States, only three are participating in the Avenue of Flags program, including our own Western New York National Cemetery. Each flag is donated by the family and friends of those entitled to military honors and are flown in tribute to their loved ones and honor of those entering the cemetery.

Our funeral homes would be honored to take care of each donation and bring them to the National Cemetery, where they will stand guard for our nation’s veterans on their last journey. Only interment flags are permitted, no store-bought flags are accepted.

From Cindy Canale:

St. Paul Lutheran School is pleased to announce that we will be adding sixth grade, beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year.

We are currently accepting registrations for preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, as well as kindergarten through sixth-grade.

For more information contact us at (585) 343-0488, or stpaulbatavia.org. The school is located at 31 Washington Ave. in the City of Batavia.

Press release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have Pfizer and Moderna vaccination clinics with appointments available for Genesee and Orleans counties' residents.

Whichever COVID-19 vaccine is available is the right vaccine to get now! All approved vaccines are effective and saves lives. We encourage anyone that is currently eligible to register for an upcoming clinic.

Vaccine is now available for people age 50 and older along with the existing priority groups (http://bit.ly/NYSPriorityGroups).

Pfizer is a two-series dose, 21 days apart (three weeks), and is recommended for people aged 16 and older. Moderna is a two-series dose, 28 days apart (four weeks), and is recommended for people aged 18 and older.

It is important to note that you must be able to return for the second dose 21 days for Pfizer or 28 days for Moderna after the first dose at the location, you received your initial vaccination. You will be making that appointment after you are vaccinated.  If you cannot make that date, please do not make an appointment for a two-dose series until you can make both appointments.  

Visit the vaccination webpage at:  https://bit.ly/GOHealthVaccine.

Choose either the Moderna Clinic or the Pfizer Clinic button to make your appointment. When you register, it will also show which vaccine will be at the clinic during that day.  In Genesee County, the clinics are held at the Athletic Center at Genesee Community College in Batavia and in Orleans County, the clinics are held at the Ridgeway Fire Hall in Medina.

If you are interested in making an appointment to get your COVID-19 vaccination, now is the time to do it locally!

Public Notice

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Village of Oakfield Board of Trustees will hold a Public Hearing Monday, April 12th, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. at the Village Hall, 39 Main Street, Oakfield, NY 14125 for the purpose of hearing comments on the Tentative Village Budget for Fiscal Year 2021-2022. The tentative budget is on file in the office of the Village Clerk at 37 Main Street, Oakfield, NY where it may be seen by any interested persons during regular business hours and is also available on the Village website oakfield.govoffice.com. The proposed salaries for the Mayor and Village Trustees are as follows: Village Trustees - $2,865.00 each, Deputy Mayor- $4,260.00 Mayor - $8,675.00.

Public Notice

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Village of Oakfield Board of Trustees will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, April 12th, 2021 @ 6:30 p.m. at the Village Hall, 39 Main Street, Oakfield, NY 14125, for the purpose of hearing comments on a proposed increase in the water and sewer rates.

Hearings are in person. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, capacity of the meeting room is limited to 20 people with proper social distancing and masks required.

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.86, down 2 cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.02. The New York State average is $2.91 – no change from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.34.

AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.84 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.83 (no change since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.88 (no change since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.88 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Rome -- $2.93 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.86 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.95 (no change since last week)

Growing stock levels have helped to put downward pressure on pump prices, according to the latest weekly report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The national average decreased despite rising gas demand, which will likely continue through the Easter travel week.

Crude prices dropped last week due to continuing market concern that crude demand will drop as Europe increases restrictions to curb growing coronavirus infection rates and now hover at $60 to $64 per barrel.

There are concerns, however, that the blocked congested Suez Canal will stall slow the supply chain for petrochemical products coming from the Middle East, leading to a possible spike in prices.

From GasBuddy: 

"After the feverish rise in gas prices to start the year, increases have largely tapered off and we're now seeing decreasing prices in most areas of the country, thanks to oil prices that have moderated for the time being," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

"As the Suez Canal has remained was blocked for nearly a week, we could see some volatility in the price of oil this week as the market digests any updates as hundreds of ships remain in limbo.

"Back stateside, refiners have made the switch to summer gasoline and price impacts have been limited thus far, but demand for gasoline remains strong. Last week saw total gasoline demand at yet another pandemic high according to GasBuddy data.

"As we approach warmer weather and motorists are increasingly getting outside, it could drive prices higher, so long as COVID-19 cases don't jump along with it and lead to new travel restrictions."

Two Batavians -- one a Genesee Region USBC Hall of Famer and the other a potential one if he keeps bowling like he has in recent weeks -- lit up Mancuso Bowling Center earlier this week in league competition.

On Tuesday, veteran right-hander Paul Spiotta connected for 32 out of a possible 36 strikes, including the final seven, to post an 822 series on lanes 3-4 in the Turnbull Heating Triples League.

Spiotta rolled 10 strikes in a 276 opener, 11 in a 279 middle game (he had the front seven strikes) and 11 more in a 267 third game. In the finale, he rebounded from an open in the fifth frame to record the last seven strikes for his fifth United States Bowling Congress-certified 800 series.

On Thursday, Nate Cordes continued his hot streak, starting with a 290 game en route to an 803 on lanes 19-20 in the Toyota of Batavia 5-Man League.

After the 11-strike 290, the high-revving righty fired 257 and 256 -- posting the final five strikes to hit the 800 mark for the first time.

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

• Oakfield-Alabama/Elba beat Geneseo/Mount Morris 42-18. Ty Mott rushed for 243 yards on 25 carries and scored five times. Bodie Hyde was 4-5 passing for 111 yards and one TD. Zach Howard had 50 yards receiving and scored a touchdown. Peyton Yasses had seven tackles and one sack. Mott, seven tackles and one sack; C.J. Gottler, six tackles, two sacks; Dontrell Jenkins, five tackles, one fumble recovery; Howard, six tackles.
• Batavia beat Wayne Central 48-30. Terrez Smith gained 155 yards on 18 carries and scored three touchdowns. He also had a 75-yard punt return for a TD. Jesse Reinhardt, 8-12 passing for 200 yards and three TDs. Alex Hale caught two TD passes and had a total of 57 reception yards. Tyler Budziniack caught two passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. 
• Pembroke beat South Seneca 36-6.
• Le Roy beat Attica 20-0. Alex Penepento was 8-14 passing for 74 yards and a TD. He also ran for 62 yards on 12 attempts and scored at TD. Jack Tonzi gained 10 yards on three carries and scored a TD. Nate Andrews caught a TD pass as one of his two receptions for 24 yards. Adam Riesewick had three receptions for 27 yards. Zach Vanderhoof had nine tackles and three sacks.
• Notre Dame lost to Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen 16-8. Collin McCulley was 9-20 passing for 63 yards. He also ran three times for 32 yards and a TD. Dylan Warner rushed 11 times for 46 yards. Mark Sanders had five receptions for 59 yards. On defense, Vin DiRisio, Cody Henry and Warner each made 10 tackles while McCulley had nine.
• Alexander lost to Avon 21-0. For coverage, click here.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here and here.

Avon's defensive line proved to be just a bit larger than Alexander's offense could overcome in Saturday's game at Van Detta Stadium, so the Trojans were never able to sustain a drive and ended up losing 21-0.

QB Nick Kramer rushed for 92 yards on 17 carries. Six other Trojan backs combined for 78 yards. 

Devin Dean led the defense with 11 tackles. Jake Laney had five tackles.

The Trojans did manage to get the ball on four turnovers. Mav Bump and Jay Morrison each had an interception. Kramer forced two fumbles. One was recovered by Morrison and one was recovered by Connor Hollands.

Press release:

We would like to take the time to congratulate Montana Dieter on signing a celebratory letter of intent to compete at Genesee Community College this fall.

Montana plans on joining the Lady Cougars Soccer team at GCC under the guidance of Coach Jeff Reyngoudt. During Montana’s time here at Pembroke Central School she has been a standout in both Soccer and Cheerleading.  

As a member of the Lady Dragons Soccer Team, Montana has been a four-year starter at forward since her freshmen year. During her tenure with the Lady Dragons, she has put together an impressive resume, which includes 26 goals and 18 assists. Montana plans to use her immense speed and shiftiness to continue her success at the next level.

While attending GCC, Montana plans on studying to become a Registered Nurse. Montana is extremely excited and honored to continue her career at the next level, competing for the Cougars. 

Coach April Meier said, “I would like to congratulate Montana for her success and accomplishments while on the Pembroke Varsity soccer team. I know she will go on to do great things with this opportunity to play soccer at GCC next fall. Montana is a highly talented athlete her combined qualities of speed athleticism, quick decision making and mind for game strategy make her a formidable and skilled offensive player. It gives me great pride and pleasure to see the athletes from our program pursuing the sports they love in college. Best of luck to Montana and the GCC Cougars in their upcoming fall 2021 season!”

Livestream courtesy of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

Members of Girl Scout Troop 43091 held a cookie sale in Byron this afternoon.

Members of the Byron Volunteer Fire Department held a boot drive in the hamlet this afternoon. With normal fundraising activities curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic, the department conducted the boot drive to help raise money for air packs.

The Easter Bunny paid a visit to the Village of Bergen today where he and his helpers handed out Easter eggs and other treats in a socially distanced drive-thru Easter egg hunt.

The Easter Bunny was on hand Thursday for a socially distanced Easter Parade at Jackson School.

GSO Memorial Concert for Bob Knipe from GCC Media on Vimeo.

Alice Calmes shared this information:

Typically the teams would start preparing in early December when the NYS BAR Association releases the case. However, due to Covid guidelines, the school didn't allow extracurricular activities to start until Feb 22.

At that time, the four returning members recruited four more members, assigned roles, and started working on opening and closing statements, questions for direct and cross, and memorizing affidavits.

The initial round of competitions for them started March 8th and they went 4-0 advancing straight to the semifinals due to a bye in the quarter-finals from being in first place at the end of the initial rounds. A win against Attica High School sent them to the finals against Oakfield-Alabama on Wednesday night.

Both matches were hard-fought, with Alexander beating Oakfield-Alabama in both.

Many of the students had to take a role on both the plaintiff and defense sides, which added to the difficulty of such a short preparation time.

The team consists of: senior -- Erin Hess, a first-year member; juniors -- Shawn Calmes, Katarina Luker, Imogene Plitt and Anna "Annie" Slenker -- all returning members, and Dana Morelli, a first-year member; and freshmen -- Olivia Burkhardt and Holly Bykowski, first-year members.

The team is led by Advisor -- Johnny Lucas, a History teacher at Alexander, and Jane Schmeider, their lawyer advisor.

Erin, Shawn, Katarina, Imogene and Annie are all doubling up on plaintiff and defense.

Photo submitted by Alice Calmes. Not all team members were available at the time this photo was taken and they won't be until after spring break. In the photo are Annie, Holly, Erin, Mr. Lucas, Shawn Calmes, Olivia, Katarina and Imogene (missing is Dana).

For previous mock trial coverage, click here.

Data Update – 

• Genesee County reporting seven 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, 40s and 70s. 
• Twenty-four of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Two of the current positive individuals are hospitalized. 
• One of the new positive individuals is an inmate at the Genesee County Jail.

​

Orleans County reporting four new positive cases of COVID-19.

​

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 40s, 50s and 60s.
• One of the new positive individuals was under quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Two of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Zero of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• We removed one of yesterday’s reported positive, as they are not a resident of the county, yesterday’s total count should have been 2529.