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Press release:

A gift for the entire family awaits participants in the Cookies & Crafts with Santa event on Thursday at The Recovery Station, 5256 Clinton St. Rd., Batavia.

“We’re celebrating the holiday season with Jolly Old St. Nick, himself,” said Harry Rascoe, director of the social club, a program of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. “All are invited to join us.”

The event will take place from 3-6 p.m.

Each family will receive a free printed picture with Santa and a Christmas book to take home.

For more information, call 585-815-5248.

You’re getting older, feeling those achy joints a bit more, cursing the stairs each time you need to use them, and wishing that perhaps you had better equipped the house to accommodate the future you.    

An unlikely scenario, you say? Not for countless senior citizens locally and across New York State, according to Rebecca Preve, executive director of the Association on Aging in New York.

Genesee County Office For the Aging Director Diana Fox and staff are working toward that end. The county Legislature just approved Fox’s request this past week to renew two grants with Caring Environments J&H, Inc. to assist older folks wanting to remain at home. The grant money helps seniors with expenses related to stair and vertical lifts, wheelchairs and bathroom modifications, such as revamping a bathtub into a shower. In fact, the last grant assisted six people this past year with that type of bathroom modification, she said.

A current contract with Caring Environments will extend the company's services as an installer at a cost of $140 per hour through March 11, 2024.

Your 'Future Self'
With the convergence of the largest age group to hit retirement age by 2030, issues of aging are right around the corner. And it’s about more than merely where to live, Fox said.

“It’s never too late to have those conversations, but what do you want it to look like as you age? To be able to think about where are you currently living? Where are you now to meet the needs of your future self?” she said. “How big are your doorways and hallways, can you get in and out? What is the lighting like, how do you get around, what will you need to get around? Talk to family members. Are there things you can plan for ahead of time?”

Other potential issues are maintaining the home and yard — will you need a landscaping service or at least someone to mow the lawn? Is your place too big; perhaps you need to downsize, she said. Are you near cultural, social and recreational sites to interact with the community? And last, but most importantly — are you taking care of yourself by making doctor visits, being socially connected, keeping active, eating well, and retaining healthy physical and mental well-being?

“We have staff available to have those conversations,” Fox said. “You want to have those conversations and be thinking about those things, ideally, before you hit a crisis.”

One such crisis could be the realization that those stairs are more a hindrance than a help. The grant money can go toward the related costs of a stair lift, or for a wheelchair, ramp, and bathroom modifications to, for example, install a shower when a bathtub is too difficult to use.

The Costs of Aging
The state’s masterplan needs to address the impacts of prevention, education, and accessibility,” Preve said.

“It also needs to ensure that all state government organizations are not working within silos to ensure we're an age-friendly state. As you are aware there's a rapidly growing aging population and, in conjunction with a significant rise in inflation, impacted older residents and increased demand for aging services by over 70 percent,” Preve said. “We continue to see significant waiting lists. For services, we're dealing with huge increases in the cost of raw materials, significant workforce shortages and increased customers.”

Those issues are also prevalent here, Fox said, with the home healthcare workforce being heavily dependent on a soft skill: they typically love what they do. Otherwise, the job usually requires anything from shopping and food prep to hands-on skills of dressing, toileting, eating, and such tasks to take care of one’s personal needs; strength to assist someone out of a chair or bed and when in the shower or bathroom; certification; and an acceptance of low pay in this field.

And the Office For the Aging — which uses three different agencies for home health aides — can attest to the ongoing shortage of help, she said. Either there aren’t enough workers to begin with, or they are shuffled to fill in for another staffer who is sick or takes days off. Complaints about being unable to find someone has become constant murmurs in the community.

“They have trouble with being able to fulfill the requests. I hear that people are looking for someone,” she said. “Part of it is the pay; it has been historically low, and it has been something that there has been a lot of advocacy on to increase.

“We might authorize someone to have a personal aide come in for six hours a week. We might authorize it, but then there’s not someone to provide the care; they say all of their staff is full.”

Aging in Place
That’s why the “unmet needs” grants are so crucial, she said.

Genesee County is ripe with older, two-story homes that wreak havoc with inflamed knees and stability concerns. So the question is how are people going to live out those much-touted golden years? Can you renovate the home to accommodate physical needs, search for a one-story home or apartment, be able to hire a home health care aide, or purchase some equipment to make for easier access, such as stair lifts and wheelchairs?

“It really makes a difference for people to be able to stay in their homes,” she said. “To serve this aging population in order to serve the needs of people; it’s much cheaper to keep people in their homes. I feel like it’s something we in our country don’t particularly value.”

Preve also emphasized that point. Society looks at prevention measures within alcohol and substance abuse, but not so much when it comes to one’s long-term future and services such as Medicaid.

“We don't talk enough about preventing having people spend down to Medicaid or institutional care, and that's really what we want the master plan to focus on. Aging is a lifelong process. How can we make sure that we're targeting people in their 30s with high blood pressure because we know that that's going to impact Alzheimer's disease when they're in their later years?” Preve said. “So it really needs to be a cohesive thought process to ensure that we allow individuals to age in place and that we keep them off Medicaid because we know Medicaid is not sustainable at the current level.”

Mastering the Aging Process
To assist with aging in place, the OFA’s services include retirement planning seminars, tax help, and a Handyman Program, plus an Aging Mastery program twice a year — with the next one scheduled for February.

This program focuses on how to plan for getting older and living comfortably in one’s post-retirement years, Fox said.

“We spend a lot of time in our older years,” she said.

To learn more, sign up for the OFA’s newsletter by going HERE or calling 585-343-1611.

Top Photo of Rebecca (Becky) Preve, executive director of the Association on Aging in New York, from an online post; and File Photo of Diana Fox, director of Genesee County Office for the Aging, during a county meeting, by Joanne Beck.

Despite some typical wintry weather Saturday, participants, including Patricia Hurd, above, bedecked their vehicles and took a drive through Batavia in memory of Bob Zeagler, who was the epitome of holiday spirit with his highly decorated vehicles and even himself.

After the small car parade, many families gathered inside of Batavia's First Presbyterian Church to enjoy some refreshments, a visit with Santa Claus and a special treat of a toy.

Founded by Jenn Noon and Cortney Dawson, the event organizers thanked the community, which included the church, organizations, emergency responders, Boy Scouts and various donors, including The Little Free Pantry and several local businesses, for making the event possible.

Top Photo by Howard Owens. Above from the Little Free Pantry's online post about the event.

There was more than Arc's famous chili and chowder being served up Saturday and Sunday at Arc GLOW's Woodrow Road campus. There was also grilled cheese.

And baked treats.

And basket raffles.

The event is one of Arc's more significant fundraisers in Genesee County.

Photos by Howard Owens

Photo submitted by Jason Smith.

Press Release:

Batavia City School District is proud to announce it has received a $12,500 Pediatric Suicide Prevention Community Grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help identify and address gaps in youth suicide prevention services in the Batavia community.

Batavia City School District will use funds from the grant to expand its “Sources of Strength” program, which is designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and substance abuse. The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent suicide by increasing help-seeking behaviors and promoting connections between peers and caring adults.

BCSD’s Sources of Strength program works monthly with the Batavia High School student body through proactive campaigns, works alongside community agencies to bridge the connection between school and community, and helps build additional connections for students who may need support. Together, BCSD encourages Sources of Strength students to be leaders and mental health ambassadors.

“We’re incredibly proud and grateful to have received this grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics,” said Superintendent Jason Smith. “These funds will add significant resources to our Sources of Strength program and allow us to continue to do the important and necessary work to support the mental health needs of students across BCSD.”

“Securing this grant was a collaborative process across our Batavia community,” said Community Schools Coordinator Julia Rogers. “It’s essential that we take a community-based approach toward suicide prevention and mental health, and I would like to thank those who were instrumental in supporting our efforts, including Lynda Battaglia, Genesee Director of Mental Health & Community Services; Sue Gagne, Suicide Prevention Coalition of Genesee County; Sherry Crumity, Rose Howard, and Heidi Meides-Judge from BCSD; and the BCSD Community Schools Integrated Supports Committee.” 

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, suicide and suicidal behavior among youth and young adults is a major public health crisis. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10-24 in the United States, and rates have been rising for decades. Suicide affects all populations: youth of any race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or community may be at risk for suicide. However, systemic inequities and social determinants of health have led to significant disparities in suicide rates, risk, and care for youth across cultures and communities. Equitable solutions are needed to support youth at risk for suicide and to address the population-level risk and protective factors that impact youth mental health.  

Suicide is complex and tragic, but often preventable. To advance prevention efforts, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to create the Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention. The Blueprint is an educational resource that outlines clinical pathways, community partnerships, and policy strategies to better identify and support youth at risk for suicide.

This small grant was awarded as part of the first-ever AAP Youth Suicide Prevention Community Grants Program, made possible with funds from Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc. This program will provide small grants to city and county health departments and/or community coalitions to identify and address gaps in youth suicide prevention services in their communities using best practices and/or tools from the AAP Blueprint in addition to creating or continuing partnerships with local pediatric practices.

Gregory Hallock hid his personal life for “a very long time,” before realizing that he needed to be a better role model for his children.

The GO ART! executive director and father of two stepped out from the shadows to display that it’s ok to be who you are.

“Coming out was hard for me. I prayed to God every day to make me not gay,” Hallock said of his life up to his mid-20s. “My then-husband and I decided that we have to be proud of who we are. And we want our children to be proud of who they are.”

That love and respect he has for himself, his family and his children — Augustus, 7, and 10-year-old Cattaleya — has been folded into a 15-piece exhibit of various artworks that tell “My Journey” at the Genesee Orleans Regional Arts Council, 201 East Main St., Batavia.

It was a colleague, Mary Jo Whitman, working as art coordinator for Genesee Community College, who prompted Hallock to submit his first piece in 2016.

“I was doing a piece for a charity auction. And I was selling that piece. And they were auctioning it off, and I bought it back because it didn’t go for what I thought it was worth. And Mary Jo … they were doing an alumni show, and she asked me to apply for the show. So I applied, thinking that I would be putting in that one piece. Only six artists got selected. And she's like, 'you got selected, now I need the rest of your collection,'” he said. “So I added to the collection, and I decided the initial piece was about love. I had taken two chairs that were exactly the same, I cut out half of the seats on both of them … and I combined them to make a bench. For us, we were two separate people that weren't allowed to be together because of being homosexual. And then we were allowed. So that was our love coming together. So from there, I decided to create a collection based on my journey through life.”

Now 42, Hallock has embraced his persona, which has been steeped in the performing arts, having gone to school for theater, acting and dancing. He was not one to give up easily, and in fact, is “very competitive,” even to the point of making sure to win every coloring contest as a kid.

"My first piece, “(I’m) Coming Out” is a collection of stories from all different people about moments in their life, that, upon looking back on, they realized they were literally 'born this way,'" he said. "I have attached them to a closet door in representation of my childhood and the moment I came out at age 24."  

His pieces use materials, such as the wooden chairs, that have been created from two separate pieces to meld into one unified bench. Even his children’s school work has been incorporated into his imagination through decoupage. The collection has been a gradual accumulation of work, much of which was found when a staffer was cleaning out his office. Much of the pieces are from objects found — literally in the street, he said — and fashioned into something meaningful, often weaving family into them.

“I love the arts, fine art is something I have not pursued, he said. “I did that collection to make people smile. In general, it just makes me smile. This is my now. There’s a meaning behind every piece. For photographs, I would make my whole family do a photo shoot with costumes.”

During his first adoption process, it went much quicker than expected, and before he knew it, Hallock and his former husband welcomed Augustus as part of the family. Then Jezebel the dog, a wheaten terrier, got pregnant and had seven puppies. His life had become wrapped up in pregnancies, and he loved every moment of it, he said.

Hallock then had the privilege of cutting Cattaleya’s umbilical cord during his second adoption, and it further strengthened his fatherhood — and personhood — experience, he said.

“And then came the biggest day of our lives: “Our Little Princess” (also one of his pieces) was born.  I remember swearing that I would never buy Disney clothes or in general be that Disney person,” he says in the exhibit statement. “Well, I failed. I am 100 percent that Disney person, but when you have a daughter how can you avoid it (excuse, lol).”

Fast forward six years, and his “now” has changed, he said, to having a 10-year-old daughter, seven-year-old son who was adopted at age four, plus five chickens, two dogs, two gerbils, one cat, one hedgehog, and one fish. He is "flying high" despite having encountered some bumps along the way.

"I have been working my dream job for nearly seven years, I have gone through a bout of cancer, a separation bought a house and am living life to its fullest," he said.

He credits his family for supporting everything in and about his life -- including dressing up in costumes for photos --- and his mom's handiwork of crocheted ornaments and stockings is included in the exhibit as well.

He has a tattoo that simply states where he’s at these days: “love for all, hate for none.”

Mary Jo Whitman always had an interest in art, she said, and pursued that by obtaining an associates, bachelor and master degree in fine and studio arts, sculpture, and finally, critical museum studies. Her goal was to become a professor, which she accomplished as an adjunct at GCC.

Whitman also wanted to get involved in an art gallery or museum, she said, and was art coordinator at GCC. She is currently at GO ART! as an educational statewide community regrant program director. Long titles aside, Whitman’s craft is short on boring — bringing multiple facets of images together as a completed visual.

“I’m very interested in human behavior and how we come to identify ourselves. So I believe that our identities are socially and culturally constructed. Meaning that every single aspect of your personality, your beliefs, everything that makes you a person has been influenced by someone or something else that you've come in contact with through your life,” Whitman said. “And taking that on the next level, as adults to really be successful in life, you really have to be able to assimilate to whatever situation you're presented with. I really got into what is the psychological impact … who are you at the very root of it.”

Although she answered that for herself through these pieces — there’s an image of Whitman in every photo — she’s reluctant to share that with the world. Considered “very personal,” she wants instead for viewers to interpret for themselves what each piece means, and how they feel when they see it.

Her 18 pieces, “Deconstructed and Raw,” include sculptures and digital photos culled over the last decade, with the last two years being devoted more to the digital realm.

“I’ve always had an interest in art, pretty much my entire life. I went to school for art. And I've always, within doing my art, I'm always experimenting with different mediums, trying different things. I decided, after taking some courses in digital art, I really enjoyed being able to manipulate images in Photoshop,” Whitman said. “I like the kind of freedom it gave you. Because you can't really make mistakes. You know, when you're doing a painting or something, if you make a mistake, it's hard to kind of rectify it where and when you're working in a digital capacity, it's easy; I could just undo whatever I just did.

“I dissect myself into different identities, and break them down,” she said of her “The Disillusioned” piece. “Once the work is shown publicly, it’s the audience’s responsibility to interpret.”

Whitman was doing her grad school research, being drawn heavily into the idea of identity construction, she said.

“And so, in looking at this, I really got interested in what is the psychological impact of knowing that your identity is constructed: who would you be if you had not been influenced by this specific thing, or that specific thing?” she said.

Backdrops are taken from obscure places, such as her gutted basement with pieces of dropped ceiling torn down. That construction material is shot in wide angle with other images positioned on top and merged.

"And when it was on the floor, I was just kind of, you know, enamored with this, these materials, it was all broken up and dusty. So I started taking photographs, I took these very low wide angle photos of it. And usually, when I'm doing one of these digital images, that's my first thing I go to, as I find the central background image of it, and it's usually something wide angle, you know, from an unusual perspective, so that was kind of fitting into it," she said. "And, you know, it was kind of telling through some things that I had going on, ... and I scanned in these incomplete drawings and manipulated them so tha they're overlaid of this image, and then there' an image of me ... And then just kind of put this like introspective silhouette kind of image of myself, it's like sitting amongst this rubble."

Whitman plans to have other exhibits in the next year, she said, depicting “that mode of anxiety of who am I right now? I enjoy the human behavior.”

"I attribute much of the success in my life to my ability to assume whatever identity is necessary to function within any social situation with which I am presented. My appearance, my clothing, my mannerisms, my vocabulary, and even the tone of my voice differ from situation to situation. I am the crazy hippie, dancing barefoot at a festival as my flowing skirt chases me. I am the curator, entertaining pretentious conversation in stilettos," Whitman said. "I am the smart-ass bartender, donning pigtails and a bowtie with a mischievous grin. I am the country girl in mud-covered, ripped-up jeans, destroying targets with a shotgun and riding four-wheelers. I am an artist, conceptualizing all my observations in an array of mediums, often in wax and plaster-covered clothing. I am a sister. I am a daughter. I am an aunt. I am a mom. The sheer size of my closet can attest to how many different people I can be and who I may need to be at any given moment.

"So, who am I beneath the fractured and fluid identity which has been constructed in accordance with societal expectations? The truth is, I am all of these identities… and none of them at the same time," she said in her artist statement.

How does Program Coordinator Jodi Fisher feel about her first exhibit, “Pictures and Prose?”

“It’s nerve-wracking,” she said.

Her 22 photographs of mostly color scenes focus on the outdoors, nature, and, really, “anything that’s interesting or out of the ordinary,” she said.

One muse she’s drawn to is the sky — she loves”I love taking pictures of the clouds and the infinite blues” — and gaze into Centennial Park.

“I’ve always been into art, and have never been able to draw,” she said. “I’ve always been into poems and poetry — m mom used to read poems to me every night.”

Now that she’s discovered a special lens for the iPhone — noted for capturing “amazing” photos by users these days — Fisher plans to home in on the fine details of close-ups, called “extreme detail photography.”

“I just see something beautiful,” she said. “I don’t necessarily see it as art, it speaks to me in some way or another. It sometimes tells a story about something, like an abandoned building.”

Her poem “Autumn” aptly describes a photo of those leafy trees:

Autumn

The sun peaking through 

The leftover autumn leaves

Casting shadows on the ground

Blue skies above the canopy

The sweet fragrance wafting up

From the forest floor

The sharp crunch with each step

As you trek across the uneven soil

You are transported back

To a time before the lands were spoiled

Before the trees were stripped 

And if only for a moment you are one with everything around you

You are Autumn

 

She began writing poetry, and “wanted to incorporate that with photos,” she said. “Poems and songs have always intrigued me. Those were my nighttime stories.”

The exhibits of Whitman and Fisher will be through Feb. 18.

Photos of GO ART! staff artists Gregory Hallock, top, Mary Jo Whitman and Jodi Fisher are featured in an exhibit at the facility at 201 East Main St., Batavia; various works on display; and Angie Dickson, above, who contributed some artwork to the exhibit. Photos by Howard Owens.

Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse leadership and staff on Wednesday afternoon celebrated Dr. Bruce Baker’s many years of dedicated service to the agency.

Chief Executive Officer John Bennett, at the organization’s annual holiday luncheon, applauded Baker’s work as GCASA’s medical director.

“Bruce has been a tremendous asset to our agency, helping hundreds of people in their efforts to overcome substance use disorder,” Bennett. “We are fortunate to have had him as part of our team and we wish him the best in his retirement.”

Bennett said that Baker shared his knowledge and compassion in a variety of roles for GCASA, including medical director, consultant, teacher and general practitioner.

A physician for 60 years, Baker has made an impact throughout Genesee County as a primary care doctor, school physician in Le Roy and Pavilion, medical consultant to the health department and medical director at Le Roy Village Green Health Care Facility.

He has worked in the addiction field for more than 40 years and was an early proponent of Medication Assisted Treatment.

“Dr. Baker recognized early on, especially as the physician at the Genesee County Jail for a quarter of a century and at Hope Haven (inpatient clinic), that individuals who suffered from addiction needed treatment, both medically and therapeutically,” Bennett said.

Dr. Baker thanked GCASA for the gift he received, adding that he treasured his time with the agency.

“I’ve made many wonderful friends along the way,” he said, noting that his “mission was to treat those suffering from substance use disorder with respect and dignity.”

GCASA management also recognized several employees who reached longevity milestones, led by Chief Financial Officer JoAnn Ryan, who has worked at the agency for 35 years. She said that she plans to retire next year.

Others receiving longevity awards are as follows:

• 25 years -- Lori Brade, manager of Billing Operations;
• 20 years -- Linda Ackley, residential aide; Kathy Hodgins, chief clinical officer;
• 15 years – Carol Nicometo, prevention educator; Jim Garber, jail services counselor; Charlene Grimm, assistant director of Peer Services.
• 10 years – Diane Klos, prevention secretary;
• 5 years -- Danielle Ludeke, outpatient treatment supervisor; Rosalie Mangino-Crandall, director of Project Innovation and Expansion, and Jordan Smart, residential peer.

Submitted photo: GCASA honored Dr. Bruce Baker and presented longevity awards at its annual holiday gathering at Terry Hills Restaurant. Seated from left are Danielle Ludeke, Dr. Baker, Kathy Hodgins; standing, Rosalie Mangino-Crandall, Carol Nicometo, JoAnn Ryan, Diane Klos, Charlene Grimm, Lori Brade, Jordan Smart, Linda Ackley

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist at GCASA.

The national chain JOANN Fabrics and Crafts is closing its Batavia store next month, according to a company representative.

It's part of a strategic move, said Shauntina Lilly, JOANN Manager of Public Relations.

"In alignment with standard brick and mortar business processes, JOANN closes stores occasionally while simultaneously investing in, and opening brand new stores to best meet the needs of our customers," she said.

The store is located in Valu Plaza, which lost its anchor tenant, Valu Home Store, in a similar cost-cutting move earlier this year.

The final day of business for JOANN is scheduled Jan. 15.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press release:

Genesee County officials have recently been notified of the naming of this community as a Clean Energy Community by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and an awarded eligibility of a $5000 Designation Grant.

The Genesee County Planning Department in collaboration with the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council recently completed four high-impact actions under NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Community program which allowed for the designation. This program is for local governments across NYS who are striving to create a healthy and sustainable environment by investing in future-focused clean energy solutions for their community, while at the same time facing unprecedented societal and financial challenges. 

St. Paul Lutheran School on Washington Avenue in Batavia will be hostsing a Christmas show at 6:30 p.m. Friday titled "Christmas Hang-Ups," and featuring the school's students.

 The program is directed by Jennifer Dunn, and lead roles will be played by the 5th and 6th-grade class, with other classes, Pre-K through 4th-grade, playing supporting roles.

Following the program, there will be a bake sale put on by FOLKS (Friends of Lutheran Kids) full of homemade donations to support the school.

Submitted information and photos.

Marsha McWilson brought down the house at Batavia Downs on Thursday night with her high-energy soul, R&B, and funk Christmas-themed variety show.

Photos by Howard Owens

City Church hosted its annual Christmas Concert on Thursday night, featuring Carlton Wilcox, Rufus McGee Jr., and Pastor Trellis Pore.

Singer Kimera Lattimore, originally scheduled for the bill, was unable to perform due to illness.

Top photo: Carlton Wilcox. Photos by Howard Owens.

Patti and Marty Macdonald, who are about to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

Rufus McGee Jr.

In talking about Genesee County’s threat assessment and management program, Undersheriff Bradley Mazur often referred to one county over, and how Rochester Threat Advisory Committee, or ROCTAC, will serve as a role model of sorts.

No wonder. All of New York State is watching the Monroe County program, which was announced in June. And Genesee County is nearly ready to jump on board, Mazur said Thursday.

"Governor Hochul passed executive order 18, which required each county to come up with a domestic terrorism prevention plan. So what we did, we put our plan together. And in our response, we believe that to mitigate this type of threat in our community, our best action would be to create a Genesee County Threat Assessment management team, or a TAM team is what they're called," Mazur said. "This is kind of very similar to Monroe County's ROCTAC ... a Rochester threat advisory committee that they developed, I think, last year. So a lot of the counties are kind of going to mimic what they've done. Ours is going to be a threat assessment committee. And this is going to be a diverse team. We have individuals from mental health to GCASA, social services, school administrators, and our SROs. The goal is early intervention to prevent any types of violence."

Similar to Rochester’s Threat Advisory Committee, so too will Genesee County have a cohesive group of representatives from law enforcement, social services, probation, GCASA, emergency management, school administrations, and school resource officers, he said.

A primary goal is “to mitigate any threat to our community,” he said, through early detection and intervention of potential threats of domestic violence, school shootings, workplace assaults, stalkings, and any other similar threats of violence.

This effort takes money, which will come from a related $172,000 state grant previously announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul. After the May shooting in Buffalo that left 10 people dead, Hochul began to charge each county in the state to develop a threat assessment plan, signing an executive order and providing funds to ensure that could happen.

Monroe County had already established its own version of a threat advisory team as a proactive measure to help prevent deadly assaults, so state leaders pointed to that team as an example for other counties to follow.

Although Genesee County is a small, rural area, it is just as susceptible to such violence as is any big city, Mazur said.

“The biggest threat to our community is any type of community radicalization. And I think their ability to use the internet and social media to reach out to anybody anywhere. And that's our focal point right now, is that use of social media and the internet," he said. "They try to push their social or political agenda. And oftentimes, it advocates for the use of violence. And using the internet and social media, I think you could have a vast audience, of which some people may be susceptible to their messaging."

The grant money will go toward training and training-related costs, such as overtime to cover officers while they’re in training. The grant is good for two years, and it does not cover equipment, only “training costs and related items that we need to establish the program,” he said.

“We submitted our plan to the state for approval,” he said. “The Genesee County Legislature reviewed the plan, and we’re going to move forward … we’re hoping to have the training completed in February. This will include all law enforcement in Genesee County."

Given this new initiative, the plan also includes promotion:  “We will be doing an awareness campaign,” he said.

That campaign will be rolled out to the public so that anyone can participate in the program. For example, if a resident reads or hears something that seems like a possible threat to the community — an online discussion about attacking a school, for example — that resident will be more equipped to know where and how to report it, and the threat advisory team would assess the situation to determine how to proceed.

"So people know, obviously, in an emergency situation, they're going to call 911. But we're also going to have another reporting system that may not reach that level yet," he said. "And the management team or the TAM team would then get together and assess it and see if we can intervene and get resources out there at that early stage."

As Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter put it: The team is “a holistic group that gets together and analyzes their case, looks at it, and sees how we can mitigate the risk and take someone off that path and stairway to targeted violence.”

More details will be publicized once the county’s plan is officially approved and the training is complete, Mazur said. Squad 9 LLC, which was used by Monroe County, will conduct the training and consulting work.

Squad 9 is led by two veteran Federal Bureau of Investigation experts who provide consultative, training and research services related to threat assessment and management, behavioral intervention, international and domestic terrorism, interview and interrogation, and risk management needs.

Mazur presented the plan to the Legislature this week, and he expects for there to be more public discussion and details to be provided after state approval and completion of training in early 2023.

File Photo of Genesee County Undersheriff Bradley Mazur talking to Genesee County legislators during a meeting at the Old Courthouse in Batavia, by Joanne Beck.

The Batavia woman whose dog reportedly ingested narcotics, leading to her arrest and to the dog being confined to the Genesee County Animal Shelter, once again failed to appear in Batavia City Court as directed.

A motion hearing was scheduled for Thursday afternoon and Cassandra Elmore didn't make it.

Elmore's attorney, Jamie B. Welch, assistant public defender, told Judge Thomas Burns that he hasn't heard from nor been able to contact his client for weeks and did not know why she wasn't in court for the hearing.

Burns issued a warrant for her arrest but stayed it for 48 hours, giving Welch a little more time to try and track her down.

Elmore hasn't consistently missed her court appearances, but she did skip an appearance in September and was subsequently arrested.

The 30-year-old Elmore has promised that once the case is cleared, we will get "the real case."

Welch was prepared to file motions on her behalf on Thursday but told Burns he would rather hold those motions until Elmore can be present in court. Burns said he also thought that is the best way to proceed.

Elmore was first arrested in July after she had taken her French Bulldog, Oddey, to veterinarians for emergency treatment. In each case, the veterinarians determined Oddey had overdosed on narcotics. Twice the veterinarians said they suspected Oddey had ingested cocaine.  On one occasion, Elmore reportedly said Oddey had found white powder on the kitchen floor of her residence, then on River Street.

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

Two members of Volunteers for Animals waited for nearly two hours Thursday to see if Elmore appeared.  After court, they said Oddey is doing well at the shelter.  Oddey, however, can't find a new forever home so long as Elmore retains ownership of the dog.

At her last court appearance, on Oct. 20, Elmore said she was willing to negotiate Oddey's future.  The volunteers said there have been negotiations but no resolution was reached.

Previously:

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

Press release:

Genesee County Emergency Management Services is pleased to announce the deployment of a MedLite Transport Bed for use by the Town of Bethany Fire Department. This equipment was obtained through the procurement of Homeland Security grant funding, is the property of Genesee County and is being deployed to the Bethany Fire Department for use at the Genesee County Park and Forest.

The State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) and the State Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (SLETPP) are the two-core homeland security grant programs in New York State. Every county in the State, along with the City of New York, receives funding under these programs.

“The MedLite Transport Bed was deployed with Bethany Fire Department because they are the first responders to the County Park. The equipment fits their UTV and allows Bethany and Mercy Flight to more efficiently make extractions of injured individuals in the rough terrain of the County Park,” said Gregg Torrey, Genesee County District 6 Legislator.

The MedLite Transport Bed is a medical rescue skid unit for Utility Task Vehicles that has the ability to transport one patient on a long board or stokes basket and one attendant in a seat. The equipment also has the ability to be fully removed from the vehicle in the field. A video of the MedLite Transport System can be seen here.

Paul Osborn, Deputy Highway Superintendent, spoke to the use of the equipment at the Genesee County Park and Forest, “The use of it in a UTV will allow for access into areas of the park that aren’t accessible by a standard vehicle, and ultimately provide more safety for the guests of the park.”

Submitted photo: From left to right, Tim Yaeger (Genesee County Emergency Management Services), John Szmkowiak (Bethany Fire Department), Gregg Torrey (Genesee County Legislator) Paul Osborn (Genesee County Highway), and Jeff Fluker (Bethany Fire Department).

A winter weather storm is heading our way, according to the National Weather Service.

A winter weather advisory is in place to start at 4 p.m. today.

A winter weather watch has been announced for Friday evening through Sunday morning.

Initially, expected mixed precipitation with snow accumulations of up to two inches and ice accumulations of around one-tenth of an inch with wind gusts up to 40 mph.

Starting Friday evening, heavy lake-effect snow is expected, with accumulations of nine inches or more in the most persistent lake-effect snow bands.

Travelers should plan for slippery road conditions with increased difficulty of travel where lake-effect snow is falling.

Reader submitted photo of tanker truck rollover in Bethany.

Two rollover accidents are reported in Alexander, one on Route 98 and another on Brookville Road.

No injuries are reported at either accident, but people are trapped in both vehicles.

Icy road conditions are reported at both locations.

Alexander Fire is dispatched to both locations.

Town of Batavia is requested to assist with extrication on Route 98.  Bethany Fire requested to assist at Brookville Road.

The Brookville Road accident is a contractor's truck with tools spilled in the roadway.  A heavy wrecker required.

UPDATE 9:08 a.m.: A tanker truck rollover accident is reported in the area of 5546 Broadway Road, Bethany. Unknown cargo.  Bethany Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 9:17 a.m.: Route 20 is being closed at East Road. Pavilion is requested to check Route 30 east of East Road. The truck rollover is a milk truck. Route 20 is "just a sheet of ice, the whole road."

UPDATE 9:21 a.m.: Two heavy wreckers will be needed for the milk truck rollover.

UPDATE 9:23 a.m.: Alexander's Brookville assignment is back in service.

UPDATE 9:24 a.m.: On the milk truck rollover, about 2,200 pounds of milk aboard. The driver self-extricated and is uninjured. The dairy has their own heavy wreckers coming. 

A motor vehicle accident with injuries is also reported at 1225 Main Road, Batavia. East Pembroke Fire dispatched.  It's the second call in East Pembroke's district. The vehicle is off the road. 

UPDATE 9:28 a.m.: Units responding can respond non-emergency. The occupants are reportedly out of the vehicle and have left the scene.  There's also an incident Pembroke is working on the Thruway.

UPDATE 9:31 a.m.: A first responder is on Route 5 near Powers Road where two vehicles are off the road.

UPDATE 9:36 a.m.: Three vehicles involved on Route 5 at Powers Road, property damage. All three vehicles have headed further east with four ways on to get to a safer location to meet with law enforcement.  There is a Thruway incident where an ambulance is requested for a neurological evaluation.  There is another incident where the driver is being taken to the TA Travel Center to get him out of the elements (he's uninjured). The vehicle is well off the road, and it's not going anywhere until a wrecker gets there.

UPDATE 9:41 a.m.: A vehicle has reportedly struck a tree in the area of 3603 Lockport Road, Oakfield. Injuries are reported. Oakfield Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 9:42 a.m: A rollover accident is reported in the area of 3668 Telephone Road, Pavilion. Pavilion fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 9:47 a.m.: A pickup truck fire is reported at the Ontario Service Center, 8700 Vallance Road, Le Roy. The vehicle is reportedly next to a building. Le Roy Fire and Bergen Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 9:50 a.m.: Minor injuries reported at Oakfield incident.  Fire police requested to shutdown traffic. Elba requested to close traffic at Snyder Road and to respond to the accident with extrication equipment.

UPDATE 10:39 a.m.: A vehicle is off the road at Route 20 and Marsh Road, Alexander. The driver is at the fire hall, uninjured. A deputy is requested for an accident report.

UPDATE 11:07 a.m.: Bethany assignment to Route 20 is back in service. Route 20 remains closed.

The set list for tonight's (Dec. 15) Christmas Concert at City Church promises to be as diverse as it is joyful, with more than just gospel and hymns but also hip-hop, R&B, and smooth jazz celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Ryan Macdonald also promises concertgoers will enjoy engaging and energetic performers and great musicians.

"We've done (the Christmas Concert) every year now, with the exception of COVID, for about five years," Macdonald said. "It's really been a wonderful night of really coming together and celebrating."

The artists, Macdonald said, are also personal friends.

"They are not just great artists but great people," Macdonald said.

Carlton Wilcox, Rufus McGee Jr, and Trellis Pore have all performed at previous Christmas concerts.  This is the Batavia debut for Kimera Lattimore (top photo).

Macdonald said he's tried to get her on the bill for years, but there was always a scheduling conflict.  He said he met her in Buffalo years ago, where she is the music director and worship leader of Renovation Church.  She is a national recording artist, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, rapper, vocal teacher, theologian and Elder of the gospel."

"She is really a great spirit, a great believer," Macdonald said. "She believes people matter. She believes humanity matters."

Her bio states that she believes, "We were all created, by the creator, to create."

The concert, Macdonald said, is intended to uplift the whole community, and all are invited.

"Our goal the whole Christmas season is the celebration of the birth of Christ, but beyond that, we're celebrating each other," Macdonald said. "The term that has really stuck with me is that we're not independent; we're interdependent. We need each other.  We don't only need each other as believers, but we need the whole community." 

The concert begins at 7 p.m. at City Church, 210 East Main St., Batavia. The concert is also live-streamed.

Submitted photos.

Submitted information:

Pastor Trellis Pore, multi-instrumentalist and Vocalist. A Western NY native. He started singing and playing instruments at the age of 5 with his family gospel group, The Cooper family Gospel singers. Singing traditional quartet Gospel music. Also was apart of the band Perifial Vision,  and The Glorious Sons of Rochester.  Currently, he leads The Trellis Cooper Band. Singing gospel music with a twist. Trellis has his own Signature series guitar with the company Mucho Guitars of Rockwall, Texas. Trellis is currently the Pastor of Shiloh Church Albion. 

Submitted information:

Rufus McGee Jr., son of Bishop & Lady Rufus and Linda McGee is Rochester’s best-kept secret, however, now the secret is out! His parents began molding him at age 2 years old to become a musician. Although he began as the church drummer at 6 years old, at 11, he progressed to becoming one of the most extraordinary organists/keyboardists that anyone has ever heard.

His ability is God-given, but can also be attributed to years of absorbing gospel music passed down through the classic COGIC style of music, and the music of the church that he attended growing up in his hometown, Rochester, New York. His drive and confidence developed from the challenge to rise above mediocrity. 

He is an exemplary musician, producer and the founder of RMJ Productions. He enjoys listening to George Duke, Chick Corea, Kevin Bond, Jason White, Mike Bereal and Eddie Brown. 

He has recorded with: Aaron Lindsey, Kathy Bowman, Ricky Dillard, Jason Wright, Serena Young, Shirley Murdock, Eddie Balltrip, Danell Daymon and Royalty, Malcolm Williams, Amar’rae Hill True Foundation and Jerome Francis and Divine Nature.

Rufus gives every ounce of his being to excelling and finishing well! Rufus has a great passion and love for gospel music and enjoys devoting his life to giving God his all. His greatest inspiration is God. He often says, “Without God, I would be nothing.”

Submitted information:

Carlton Wilcox has been creating a standard of excellence in music that embodies, style, quality, and substance. This singer, songwriter, and accomplished bassist has been entertaining Western NY for over two decades. Resounding melodies accompanied by rich voice make this crooner one of our area’s sought talents. With gospel, smooth jazz and R&B roots, Carlton wants to spread the message of hope through music. Carlton Wilcox is also a Monroe County Deputy Sheriff, event promoter and music instructor for the City of Rochester’s ROC Music Program. Carlton Wilcox wants to make a difference in the world, one day at a time, by giving back the love and support that he has been given.

After sending emails to city leaders and talking publicly at this week’s City Council meeting, Credi has gotten answers and a prospective meeting to further discuss his issues.

He has served as a representative of his Pub Coffee Hub and for other entrepreneurs in Harvester Center, which houses 75 businesses.

During Monday’s council meeting, Credi wanted to express his frustration and know why “no parking” signs were re-installed on the east side of Harvester Avenue, where he operates his coffee shop.

City Police Chief Shawn Heubusch informed Credi Wednesday that the signs “were never intended to be removed” permanently, Credi said. They were taken down temporarily as part of the Harvester road construction project and were to be returned upon completion of work.

Credi said he wasn’t surprised that it took quite awhile to return the signs, or that there was “no communication with us whatsoever.” He was, however, disappointed to find out, after believing that his street was going to reap some extra parking spots for customers, that it was just a matter of delayed action to re-install the "no parking" signs.

He also learned that similar signs on the west side of Harvester do not fall within City Code and cannot, therefore, be enforced by city police. To clarify, approving the City Code falls within the authority of City Council and not the police department.

“(Heubusch) has no explanation as to when or how they got there,” Credi said. “We are working to schedule a meeting for mid-January to look into the best way to address parking on both sides.”

Credi said he is “very pleased with the communication” from the police chief. He has, though, tallied another tick mark in “the disappointment column from the construction debacle,” he said.

For prior coverage, go to: 

Harvester Avenue businessman presses city for answers

Harvester Avenue road construction a slow-moving hindrance

File Photo of Rob Credi when he opened Pub Coffee Hub in July 2020 at Harvester Center, Batavia, by Howard Owens.