notify

Brianna L. Way, 31, of Batavia, is charged with assault 3rd and endangering the welfare of a child. Way is accused of punching and kicking a nine-year-old child causing an injury, shoving the child's head as punishment, and forcing the child to watch a TV-MA documentary about child murder titled “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez” while telling the child that it could be him. Way was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance. An order of protection was issued.

Jordan Taylor Reese, 30, of Ford Road, Elba, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and criminal mischief.  Reese is accused of injuring a child during an incident at 6:48 p.m., June 22, at a residence on Ford Road, Elba. Reese was arrested by Deputy Ayrton Blankenberg, was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court, and released.

David John Chormanski, 42, of Mechanic Street, Byron, is charged with criminal mischief and endangering the welfare of a child. Chormanski allegedly damaged property of another person during an argument in the presence of a child at 5:03 a.m., June 21, at a location on Mechanic Street, Byron. Chormanski was arrested by Deputy David Moore, arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court, and released on his own recognizance.

Brian Joseph Crawford, 48, of Independence Drive, Methuen, Mass., is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Crawford was stopped at 12:59 a.m., June 20, on West Main Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Morgan Ewert. He was released on appearance tickets.

Marvin K. Barber, Jr., 37, of Lackawanna, is charged with harassment 2nd, criminal possession of a weapon 4th, criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, menacing 2nd, and grand larceny 4th. Batavia police officers were dispatched to a report of a disturbance at 8:30 a.m., June 22, on Lewis Place, Batavia. Following an investigation, and making contact with Barber, who had left the scene, Barber turned himself in to police custody. He was arrested and arraigned in City Court and ordered held in the Genesee County Jail.  

Andrew J. Draper, 43, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Draper is accused of damaging property at a residence on Miller Avenue during an argument at 9 a.m., June 17. He was arraigned in City Court and released.

Andrew J. Draper, 43, of Batavia, is charged with driving while under the influence of drugs and aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd. Following an investigation, Draper was arrested on June 17 for an incident reported at 10:53 a.m., May 14, on Ellicott Street, Batavia. Draper is accused of driving while impaired by crack cocaine. Draper was issued traffic tickets and released.

Andrew J. Draper, 43, of Batavia, criminal contempt 1st and harassment 2nd. Draper is accused of violating an order of protection by striking another person during a disturbance reported at 1:17 p.m., June 17, at a location on West Main Street, Batavia. Draper was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Dorsie McGill, Jr., 37, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC .08 or greater, resisting arrest, and using a mobile phone while driving. McGill was stopped at 8:39 a.m., June 18, on East Main Street, by a Batavia patrol officer. McGill was processed at BPD and released on an appearance ticket.

Ledaga K. Wright, 31, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 2nd, criminal mischief 4th, and criminal tampering 3rd, Wright is accused of causing damage inside apartment on June 15 on Holland Avenue. He was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance.

Latoya D. Jackson, 36, of Batavia, Jackon is accused of threatening to fight multiple people during a disturbance on State Street at 8:18 p.m., June 20. Jackson was issued an appearance ticket.

Nick A. Hawkins, 38, of Batavia, Hawkins is accused of threatening another person during a disturbance on State Street reported at 8:18 p.m., June 20.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

Daniel R. Yates, 52, of Batavia, is charged with criminal tampering 3rd and criminal mischief. Yates is accused of damaging property inside Tops Market at 7:52 p.m., June 17. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Maurice D. Bishop, 36, of Rochester, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Bishop was arrested on a warrant related to an incident reported at 1:10 a.m., Oct. 12. Bishop was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision. A stay-away order of protection was issued.

Press release:

New York Bus Sales broke ground on a $4.5 million multi-use 20,000 sq. ft. facility today at West Saile Drive and Call Parkway in the town of Batavia. The facility will include office and training space and repair and storage areas.  It is intended to support school districts and bus operators across Genesee County and the Western New York and Finger Lakes regions convert their fleets from diesel fuel to all-electric.  The project has also pledged to create 24 full-time jobs.

Based in Chittenango, New York Bus Sales is one of the largest Blue Bird school bus dealers in North America. The company’s facility will service customers, including school districts to help transition their bus fleets from diesel fuel engines to all-electric bus fleets. New York has mandated that the approximately 50,000 school buses in the state by 100 percent electric by 2035.

“New York Bus Sales is excited to be leading the charge on school bus electrification in New York State and truly appreciates everyone at the Genesee County Economic Development Center and National Grid for helping make this first-of-its-kind project a reality,” said Sean Finnerty, President, New York Bus Sales.  “As the state begins converting its school bus fleets to all-electric, New York Bus Sales is proud to be at the forefront of this very exciting journey and looks forward to helping school districts across Western New York make the transition to all-electric school buses.  Genesee County’s favorable business climate and its central location between Buffalo and Rochester made Batavia an ideal location for our new facility.”

The GCEDC board of directors approved a request by New York Bus Sales for approximately $400,000 in incentives and National Grid assisted in the installation of charging stations and technology as part of the company’s DCFC Per-Plug Incentive Program.

“New York Bus Sales is yet another project as part of the emerging green economy in Genesee County as evidenced by the current construction of Plug Power’s green hydrogen facility at STAMP, the opening of a research and development facility for more efficient and renewable wind turbine bases in Bergen, and various solar projects across the county as well as other projects in the pipeline,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde.

“Our Make-Ready Program provides a range of technical assistance and funding for electric vehicle charging projects across our upstate New York service territory,” said National Grid Regional Director Ken Kujawa. “Working with New York Bus Sales is a great example of a company making a commitment toward innovation and sustainability while reducing greenhouse gas emissions while supporting New York State’s climate emission mandates.”

One of the first electric school buses will be delivered this summer to the Lake Shore School District in Erie County. The school district received funding from the Truck Voucher Incentive Program through NYSERDA. Electric buses are nearly identical to diesel engine buses, with the new EV vehicles have a quieter engine along with more technological capabilities and most importantly, significantly reducing emissions.

Top photo: Ken Kujawa, WNY regional director for National Grid, Greg Post, Town of Batavia supervisor, Shelley Stein, chairwoman of the Genesee County Legislature, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, State Senator Ed Rath, GCEDC CEO Steve Hyde, and John Johnston, VP of New York Bus Sales. 

Photos by Howard Owens

Steve Hyde

John Johnston

Greg Post

Shelley Stein

The failure of insurance companies to fully reimburse pharmacies for the full cost of prescription drugs has cost the City of Batavia its only independently owned pharmacy.

Alberty Drug Store, operating locally since 1922, won't see its 101st year in business, confirmed co-owner Christopher Casey this morning.

Starting this week, it's only open to fill prescriptions. All other retail items have been removed from the store.  The drug store will continue to fill prescriptions until sometime in July.  Prescriptions will be transferred to another pharmacy though customers can choose their own pharmacy if they prefer.  They will need to make their own arrangements for the transfers. The negotiations with other pharmacies to accept the prescriptions is ongoing.

"This is not a decision made lightly," Casey said."But a decision was made because of profitability and lack of profitability, filling an Eliquis prescription for the cost $500 that insurance reimburses six weeks later for $475. That's been the trend that's been going on for several years."

Independent pharmacies have also been hurt because a Rochester drug co-op has closed and that removed the rebate structure that helped locally owned shops.

"That money has been gone for four or five years," Casey said. "That's money that we used to go into the bottom line. So in essence, it makes it unfortunately unprofitable."

The 66-year-old Casey started in the pharmacy business when he was 13 and has owned five pharmacies during his career.

Casey and his son Kevin Casey also own and operate a pharmacy in Victor.  There are no plans currently to close that pharmacy but Casey said there was no problem with the business volume at Alberty.

"If you're losing money, you don't make it up in volume," Casey said. "And that's really the case. There are some things we'd make some money on, but pharmacies basically make it on the difference between the cost and what's paid. And that's dictated unfortunately by insurances. There's really no ability to negotiate with insurances."

So there’s some good news and some bad news about Fourth of July festivities this year. While there don’t seem to be too many local events taking place on the actual day, including the long-standing Picnic in the Park, (the bad news), there are plenty of activities during the long weekend leading up to the patriotic holiday.

That should be good news for anyone interested in baseball, fireworks, live music, cultural and artisan entertainment, a road race and the camaraderie that naturally accompanies family and friends gatherings.

Friday, July 1
First up is the Old Hippies from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday in Jackson Square (between Jackson and Center streets, Batavia. You should know the drill by now: bring a lawn chair, relax and enjoy. Across town will be a Muckdogs game at 7:05 p.m. at Dwyer Stadium. In addition to swing-batter-swing, there will be fireworks following the game.

Or how about “Get(ting) the Led Out” at Batavia Downs Gaming, where a Led Zeppelin tribute band takes the stage at 5 p.m. trackside. Click here for tickets

Josh Groban will be taking the stage at 7 p.m. at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, 9993 Alleghany Road (Route 77). For tickets, go here 

Restaurants are also planning to provide some live music for patrons, including the Red Osier on Route 5 in Stafford, and Center Street Smokehouse on Center Street in Batavia.

Saturday, July 2
From 6:30 to 10 p.m., the Sinner Band will be at Jam at the Ridge, 8101 Conlon Road, Le Roy.  Click here for tickets

Saturday will also bring the family fun all day and night long with the Batavia Ramble Explore Arts & Music Fest downtown in Jackson Square. Live bands, cultural dances, hands-on artist crafts, and more will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more details, see prior coverage here 

Big Time Rush Forever Tour is set for 8 p.m. at Darien Lake Amphitheater at Six Flags Darien Lake Theme Park. For tickets, go here

Public Water Supply will have the music flowing from 8:30 to 11 p.m. at Cherry Hill Campground, 1516 Sumner Rd Darien Center. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/CherryHillCamp/

Sunday, July 3
Sunday will feature another Muckdogs home game at 7:05 p.m. at Dwyer Stadium, complemented by a nightcap of fireworks. For more information or tickets, go to Muckdogs. 

Backstreet Boys: DNA World Tour is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Darien Lake Amphitheater. Click here for tickets 

Monday, July 4
Holiday? What holiday? Lace-up your sneakers for a little early morning exercise before firing up the grill and enjoying picnic treats. You’ve got a week to prepare for the annual Kiwanis Club Independence Day 5K, set for 9 a.m. July 4 at Centennial Park.

The annual fundraiser is back on the road this year, after a temporary pandemic virtual option, says club member Dave Chua. For those runners not willing or able to take on the morning 3-mile jaunt, there will be a virtual option again this year, Chua said.

Runners will be helping Kiwanis Club raise money for the Autism Nature Trail and Batavia City School District Foundation.

As for no Picnic in the Park, Chua didn’t think that would impact the number of participants in the 5K, especially since the event has always wrapped up before the picnic festivities began anyway. It will mean, however, the rental and expense of port-a-potties. Participants have previously been able to use the ones already put in place for the picnic, he said.

This year’s race is going with a new timing company, Spirit Timing, which seems to be well-organized, he said. As part of that change will be fewer paper registrations versus online. There will also be a phone app to register that way ahead of time or while standing in line that morning as a day-of registrant.

Those that do register ahead of time are pretty much guaranteed a T-shirt with the official race logo, and all runners will get a bib with the timing chip on race day. Fees are $25 for each of the July 4 and virtual races.

Packet pick-up (and pre-registration) will be at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 3 at Batavia’s Original, 500 East Main St., Batavia. For more information, go to Batavia Kiwanis 5K

With all of the construction and a one-way Park Road along Batavia Downs Gaming, there won’t be any fireworks at the site this year, marketing director Ryan Hasenauer said. He recommends checking out the Friday concert as part of the Rockin' the Downs series, above.

Godfrey’s Pond is hosting a fun, members-only parade on July 4, complete with decorated bikes and golf carts. A step out of the county will find Genesee Country Village & Museum with a good old-fashioned Independence Day celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Mumford. For more information, go here.

Her daughters deserve a choice when they're old enough to make big decisions for themselves, said Michelle Kozak at an abortion rally outside Batavia City Hall earlier this evening.

"I believe that their rights matter and my rights matter," Kozak said. "Their lives matter and they might need an abortion someday, medically or even if they just want one, and they deserve that choice."

About 200 people turned out for the rally by 5:30 p.m. (it was scheduled to run until 7 p.m.)

The event was organized by the Genesee County branch of the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America), GLOW Women Rise, and Genesee County Democrats. 

Dorothy Avery, known as "Cricket" to her friends, president of GLOW Women Rise, said a protest against the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade on Friday sends the wrong message, the message that women can be treated as second-class citizens and can't make decisions about their own bodies.

It's an important message, she said, because, even though abortion within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy is statutorily protected and the law isn't likely to be overturned, nothing can be taken for granted, Avery said.

"I don't know if we can say that it's never going to be overturned. I think over the last five or six years, we've seen a lot of things happen that we thought never could happen," Avery said. "So I don't think we can become complacent. And I also think it's good to let the elected officials in our area know that not everyone is conservative and that there are a fair number of people that don't agree with all of the conservative policies. And I actually think this is one issue that does cross party lines. This is about women. It's about lives. It's about control. And I think it really does cross party lines."

The rally comes at a time after a two-year pandemic that kept some political groups, like GLOW Women Rise, from holding public events.  Avery said she saw the ruling as an opportunity to re-energize the organization.

"This just came about, actually,  because Gina (Schelemanow) from the Democratic Socialists of Genesee County really lit the fire under me," Avery said. "I think we do become complacent and she said, 'Come on, shouldn't we do something and let people know that we care about this?' And I said, 'Absolutely.'"

Friday's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson overturned the court's 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade. The new ruling returns abortion legislative power to state governments.

The decision upholds Mississippi's prohibition on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy and also allows each of the 50 state governments to decide its own abortion laws.

In New York, access to abortion procedures is already statutorily protected, allowing for abortions within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy and after 24 weeks only if the mother's health is jeopardized or the life of the child in the womb isn't viable. 

There were no counter-protesters present at the rally during the time The Batavian was at City Hall, though an organizer walked through the assembly at one point and advised participants that if counter-protesters did show up, rally members shouldn't engage with them but, rather, ignore them.

During the half-hour The Batavian was at the rally, numerous vehicles drove by with the drivers honking their horns in apparent agreement with rally participants. At least, every honking horn was met with a big cheer from the participants.

Top photo: Michelle Kozak with her daughters Julia, 4, and Frannie, seven months.

Photos by Howard Owens.

As Batavia High School’s Class of 2022 sat quietly Saturday on VanDetta field dressed in blue and white robes, many family members and friends hurriedly tried to find a seat in the packed stadium before the ceremony began.

It was perfect weather with no rain in sight, though the scorching temperature of 85 and climbing made for some hot metal seats. Marya Cole had found a spot to watch her niece Jaylene Dersham receive her diploma, but soon had to duck under cover for some relief.

“It was so hot up there,” Cole said, finding some shade in the stadium lobby. “I’m very proud of her. She lost her dad when she was young. But she went all the way through, and I’m really proud of her.”

Jaylene, 17, who was a notable Blue Devils Girls Basketball player, was one of 169 graduates to cross the makeshift stage and realize a dream along with her fellow seniors. She had decorated her cap in honor of her father, Jayson Dersham, with the word “Dad” across the top. Cole wasn’t certain what her niece will be doing from here but knows that the new graduate wants to go to college, possibly for nursing or something more secretarial.

That wasn't her proud aunt's concern at the moment.

"She did it; she made it," a smiling Cole said.

Robert Lin, Valedictorian

Although they were saying goodbye to the last days and years of high school, the graduates were reminded of what they accomplished. Class Valedictorian Robert Lin spoke about the hardships of isolation, separation, and the mental and physical turmoil his classmates encountered with a pandemic. "It had a “devastating effect on us,” he said.

Despite the challenges, everyone rallied to come back and finish.

“Throughout these four years at high school, we’ve developed skills, connections, and characteristics to move forward in society,” Lin said. “These events will develop us to be harder, better, faster, and stronger. As today ends, we will all tread our own paths. As we move on, life will have many surprises or events in store for us.”

His nuggets of advice included the phrase “you only live once,” which he encouraged for those willing to take the consequences of trying something new. There’s nothing wrong with taking a shorter path or the long way, he said. Just never give up. Never let yourself down.

“We have to enjoy life to its fullest, and the changes it throws at us will keep us eager, and when they start coming, they don’t stop coming,” he said.

The 100+ average student received the E.G. Richmond Award for having the highest average in all courses of study. He also completed and excelled in 13 college or AP level courses, doing his homework assignments in between helping customers at his family’s restaurant after school.  A role model to his fellow students, he was described as always wanting to be better.

Elizabeth McCarthy, Salutatorian

Less than one point under Lin's average was the 99.9 of Salutatorian Elizabeth McCarthy. Not only was McCarthy a high school graduate, but, due to her diligence in taking 11 AP and/or dual enrollment courses while in school, she also just graduated from Genesee Community College with an associate degree.

The past four years have been “a wild ride,” she said, also pointing to the challenges of COVID.

“I am so proud of how our class was able to overcome this huge challenge. We would not have been able to overcome such adversity without the help and support of our family and friends, as well as the exceptional staff at BHS,” she said. “I would like to remind everyone to be kind. I’m sure we can all think of someone who has brightened our lives in some way. Someone who was there for us with a helping hand -- or maybe simply a smile -- when we needed it most. I encourage all of us to be the light in someone’s day, in case that person needs it.”

At one point during the speeches, Samantha Koons had stepped into the lobby, where a nice small breeze was flowing through to the parking lot. She and her boyfriend Ed McDonald were there for his 18-year-old son Cory, she said.

“We’re a little emotional that his baby is growing up,” she said. “We’re very proud of him, very proud.”

About a dozen chaperones and security staff kept an eye on the premises during commencement. Some spectators asked about water as the blazing sun kept its heavy gaze on participants and the audience. Security guard and BHS 1997 grad Nick Burk attends every graduation, he said, and the events “traditionally are very well attended.”  He also coaches three sports and has become invested in the students' success, he said.

“It’s really exciting and awesome to see students whom I’ve known since they were 14 or 15 … some are going into the military, some are starting their careers,” he said. “It’s great to see that development and growth.”

Photos by Steve Ognibene.  To view more photos and to purchase photos, click here.

Top photo: Batavia High School Principal Paul Kesler addresses the Class of 2022 during commencement Saturday at VanDetta Stadium in Batavia. Speakers included Superintendent Jason Smith, who gave an analogy about filling one's jar first with golf balls -- the big priorities in life -- before worrying about the smaller things, represented by pebbles and sand. He later gave each student an inscribed symbolic blue golf ball to remind them "about prioritizing your goals as you move into this next exciting phase of your lives." Molly George and Laura Tenebruso -- longtime teachers at the city school district -- present a poem made up by several of the seniors' quotes. Photos by Stephen Ognibene.

Mark Volpe loved nature, and as that became apparent to CEO Jim Campbell, Campbell gave him a job only suitable to a conservationist -- manager of the private nature preserve behind the Chapin Manufacturing factory on Ellicott Street in Batavia.

Volpe worked for Chapin for 35 years with much of that time dedicated to the care and maintenance of the 70-acre preserve. He died in November 2018.

In addressing visitors at the conservation area Friday, Campbell stressed the importance of staying on the marked trails while explaining the slice of nature Volpe tended.

"This 70 acres encompasses meadows, hardwood forests, lowlands, wetlands, and actually open water," Campbell said. "It's quite a diverse ecosystem."

Volpe's dedication to the preserve was marked today with a ribbon-cutting by his widow Louise Volpe on a bridge that now ties together the east side and the west side of the property. 

Volpe's children and grandchildren were also present to walk with Louise across the bridge for the first time.

"He just enjoyed coming out here," Louise said. "I would come out here with him. He loved nature, the earth, and everything about it. He was just that kind of person who is an outdoorsman. He loved it. That's why he jumped at the opportunity to take over out here when Jimmy asked him, so I think that was kind of special what Jim did."

The bridge was actually Mark Volpe's idea.  The property is divided by a wide, shallow stream, so to access the conservation area, one would have to come in either from the east or west side and not be able to cross over.

"Mark did plan this before his passing," Campbell said. "He was working with his good friend Jeff McGivern. Jeff and his crew actually built this bridge. This bridge is actually a repurposed dragline. For those who don't know what a dragline is, it's really like a big crane. This was the boom of a dragline that Jeff repurposed. It's 110 feet long. Maybe it doesn't look that great, but it actually can hold probably about seven or eight tons. So it's very safe."

Mark's brother is John Volpe, who is also active locally in environmental causes.

Volpe's daughter Melissa Miller closed the private ceremony with a thank you message for Campbell and everybody at Chapin.

"We would like to thank everyone at Chapin's who created this memorial in honor of my dad," she said. "As you all know, he devoted his life to his family and his job here at Chapin's. He also had many hobbies and activities that he loved. One of his favorites was spending time outdoors with nature. He was extremely passionate about it and found profound meaning in all things relating to nature. We are extremely grateful and honored that you are remembering him in such a beautiful and special way in a way that embodies who he truly was, and in a place that he loved so much. This tribute means so much to all of us. And I know my dad would be honored and so happy to be remembered this way."

Employees of Chapin's are welcome to visit the conservation area at any time. The rest of the public is allowed to hike the property with the company's prior permission.  There is no hunting or fishing permitted on the property.  Visitors are required to stay on trails, both to protect the environment and for their own safety.

Gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin made a whistle-stop -- not from a train but from a van -- in Batavia on Friday as part of his "Save Our State" tour in which he attacked Gov. Kathy Hochul and aimed to make the case that he was has a plan for making New York a better place to live.

Quotes:

• "We really have to restore balance to Albany. It's not just about political balance. It's also a geographic balance. I want all New Yorkers to feel like they have a voice and representation again in our state capitol. And it doesn't matter which of the 62 counties you come from, what region of this state you come from, everybody should feel like they have a voice that is being heard."
• "We should enact the greatest the largest tax cut in the history of the state. We have to bring spending under control."
• "Suddenly, this governor is out there advocating against the rights of law-abiding New Yorkers, this same governor who when she was a member of Congress, was an A-rated NRA endorsed member of Congress and proud of it. She made a name for herself by opposing driver's licenses for people who weren't legally in the country. And then all of a sudden, she becomes a statewide elected official and she's trying to win a Democratic Party primary and she's evolved on this. She's evolved on that. But people out here in this region know her best and they know that the Kathy Hochul, who she's trying to be today isn't the Kathy Hochul she's always been in the past. She's in over her head. She's not up for this job. She is pandering to tax and spend liberal pro-criminal Democrats who are rolling her and she cares more about getting reelected than she does about saving the state."
• "I support school choice. We have to understand that not every school is the same. We have some great schools in the state of New York, we have some poor-performing schools. Competition is good. And we shouldn't have kids stuck in poor-performing schools."
• "I'm pro-life I'm pro-Second Amendment, and I strongly oppose the far-left progressive agenda taking over Albany. Now, if you want to really get to the heart of where New Yorkers are across this state, even people who consider themselves to be pro-choice are against New York's law for late-term partial-birth abortion. They are against non-doctors performing abortions. They are for parental consent. They're for informed consent. They want to promote adoption more."
•  "The decision today issued in the Dobbs case was a victory for life for the family. It was a victory for the Constitution. It was a victory for federalism, it was the correct decision."

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

That’s a popular quote with a ring of cliche, but a truth nonetheless that was center to Batavia Police Department’s active shooter training Thursday evening.

And for nearly three hours, Officer Arick Fleming and Detective Steve Cronmiller not only reviewed the history of events — devastating as they were — but discussed how lessons can be gleaned from each scenario. Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events, or CRASE, training was conducted by the police department as a way to better equip ordinary citizens with the knowledge to survive a possible future attack.

While some scenarios illustrated the surprise element of an attack and how it can paralyze people with fear, many others contained gems of insight into how survival really comes down to each individual.

Three key words to keep in mind are denial, deliberation and decisive, as each one will become an action taken by people caught in a surprise assault or tragic event, Fleming said. He asked the group of about 25 attendees how long they might have before emergency responders arrive on scene. Answer: Three minutes. While that isn’t a whole lot of time, it’s three minutes that can mean life or death for the person that hesitates to act in the face of a horrific situation, he said.

Denial: Not acknowledging that something might be happening and ignoring possible warning signs. He gave the scenario of hearing a bang and dismissing it as a car backfiring. Or, as shown in some actual video footage, not reacting when seeing flames on the other side of a building or when an angry, armed man disrupts a government meeting. Most people remained where they were as if gripped with fright or ignorance that something tragic was about to happen.

Deliberation: Assessing a situation for what is actually happening and what are some possible actions to take.

Decisive: Choosing to act in some way, whether it is to flee the situation, find a hiding place or actively combat the danger (a gunman or fire, for example).

“The ones who can make better, quicker decisions are the ones to survive,” Fleming said.

All too often, people look for the lead when in a crowd, he said, instead of acting upon their own instincts. Another video, in which actors lay on the ground acting ill, demonstrated how group-minded individuals can be, as one by one, passersby ignored the person on the ground. In one experiment, 34 people walked by in the first 20 minutes without any acknowledgment of the situation.

The brain’s response to stress …
There is a response to stress, Fleming said, that involves the “lizard brain,” in which a person will either fight, flee or freeze. Their brains may lock up and focus only on one solution — one way out of a burning building, for example.

Yet another video of an actual fire at a nightclub showed a crowd of people seemingly oblivious to a fire that had erupted and was visible. They remained in that group-minded mentality that, since no one else was moving, convinced them it must be the right thing to do. And when it became a mad rush out of the building, people flocked to one main hallway. They became wedged against each other unable to get out. More than 30 people died in that hallway, while several others perished at other points within the building due to not acting immediately, Cronmiller said.

Another interesting but tragic lesson was that nobody even thought to use an alternative exit within the club, he said. Caught up in panic and a gradual thawing of shock, folks just made a mad dash by following everyone else.

“If just one person had thought of breaking the plate glass windows, they could’ve gotten out,” he said, adding that if a building has a kitchen, there is always an exit door there.

A taped interview with a surviving teacher from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut proved that there are options to take in order to survive. She hid 15 children in a small bathroom and hushed them throughout the time period a gunman ransacked the school and took 26 lives. Even when police finally came to the door, she wouldn’t let them in. Fleming agreed with that choice.

“I wouldn’t open the door for police if I didn’t believe it; if I wasn’t 100 percent sure, I wouldn’t open the door,” he said.

Law enforcement would be able to obtain keys or otherwise find a way into that bathroom, he said. For those who do choose to hide in a room, use whatever is available to barricade the door, he said, from a doorstop to desks and chairs.

A physical response ...
When it comes to fighting off an attacker, the same advice applies: use whatever is handy. Attendees suggested a water bottle, fire extinguishers, chairs and the U.S. flag in council chambers. Being the victim of an attack should make you mad, he said.

“Use that anger. The more things we can throw at his face, that’s going to mess him up,” Fleming said. “You’re buying us time. What you do matters; we need to make it through those first three minutes.”

Philosopher George Santayana seemed to have it right: don’t forget history and don’t repeat the unfortunate mistakes of others. Fleming and Cronmiller wanted everyone to learn from the past and survive a catastrophic event.

The recent attack by a gunman in Erie County prompted Lynda Kelso to attend and obtain those lessons, she said.

“The attack in Buffalo really hit close to home. I saw an opportunity to educate myself a little more. I have one kid in every school, and I’m a stay-at-home mom. I can be available to help,” she said. “If I can learn even one thing to help … I’ll be better equipped should something happen here in Batavia. I would be the one to react; if I can help, I can help.”

Top photo: Batavia Police Officer Arick Fleming talks about active shooters during a civilian training Thursday at City Hall. Above, Officer Fleming and Detective Steve Cronmiller conduct the training as part of the department's Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events education. Photos by Howard Owens.

For anyone in the vicinity of Centennial Park Thursday, you may have spotted a bunch of lemonade stands, correlating yellow decor and people enjoying the warm weather with a cool cup of lemonade. 

What you may not have noticed so readily was the fundraising taking place with each cup of beverage sold. The event, hosted by Rochester Regional Health and United Memorial Medical Center, was to raise money for baby swaddles. A goal was set to purchase 500 of the infant wraps to give to local moms. 

So why baby swaddles? What are they and why are they important enough to warrant a specific fundraiser? Over at the Healthy Living stand, registered nurse and maternal health educator Jay Balduf put it succinctly with a  two-digit number: 93.

“Ninety-three babies die annually in New York State alone, either by being rolled on by another person or loose bedding,” she said. “So that's why we promote the Safe Sleep initiative on the unit. Sacks play a role in teaching new parents, and any parent, really, about the importance of safe sleep. And it just helps us also to give back a little to the community, because most of these kids were probably delivered at UMMC.”

Baby swaddles and sacks are promoted for infants as a safe way to be in a crib and for sleep time. Other embellishments — pillows, blankets, clothing — can become a hazard if the baby gets entangled or covered with such material, said Linda Stoiber, an RN and lactation consultant.

“The hospital is a Baby-Friendly Hospital and a safe sleep designated hospital where babies are placed on their back. They are swaddled with these new swaddlers,” Stoiber said. “There should never be another blanket or a pillow, or anything around the crib, nothing else that would affect the baby then cover their face and cause them to suffocate.”

Megan Boring learned early on — with two Neonatal Intensive Care Unit babies of her own — the importance of making them feel safe, helping them to grow and be warm. A coordinator of Healthy Living’s MOMS (Medicaid Obstetrics Maternal Services)  program, she supports the belief that babies don’t belong on their bellies, she said, but more safely on their backs. Swaddling them keeps their arms tucked nicely inside, and it mimics a cocoon “as if they're sleeping still inside … the mom's womb,” she said.

“So the Safe Sleep initiative is really to help keep them on their back while they're sleeping,” she said. “I think there are moms that don't understand the importance of the swaddles. They can be expensive to some moms too. They are upwards of $25 to $30 and not all moms have. So I think that this fundraiser is important because it's going to help moms get at least one to have so that they can also be educated on safe sleep for their babies. (See related story, Lemonade stands bring out supporters, creativity and lots of yellow.)

For more information about Healthy Living programs, call (585) 344-5331 or go here.

Top photo: Healthy Living's Baby Cafe staff Linda Stoiber, left, and MOMS program coordinator Megan Boring, hand out lemonade with information for anyone interested in baby swaddling, breastfeeding and other maternal-related issues Thursday during the Lemonade Stand fundraiser at Centennial Park. Above, Jay Balduf, Megan Boring and Linda Stoiber greet a visitor at the Healthy Living stand. Photos by Howard Owens.

Jason and Ashley Mlyniec and their two sons were some of the many people — adults and kids alike — sporting sunny yellow attire Thursday at Centennial Park.

The Batavia family had set up a table with a pitcher of lemonade and glass jars of lemon suckers and lemon puffballs. They definitely fit the theme of the inaugural lemonade stand fundraiser hosted by Rochester Regional Health and United Memorial Medical Center.

“We’re on the hospital foundation board,” Mrs. Mlyniec said. “This is for a good cause. We’ll do it again next year.”

Under the umbrella of RRH, each lemonade stand was created by individual families and groups that wanted to help raise money for the Swaddle Program. While one participant blew bubbles at her table, another stood behind a Charlie Brown-themed “the doctor is in” sign, and all of them had a special twist to their decor, including plenty of lemons.

The first-time event chairman was 10-year-old Patrick Casey, chosen for his prior involvement with fundraisers.

“I had some spare money, and I gave it to a fundraiser for the hospital, because it’s for a good cause,” he said. “If you’ve got some spare money lying around, give it to a good cause.”

Last year his mom, Lauren was talking with others about how to get young kids involved in the lemonade stand idea, and she in turn told Patrick about it.

“He thought it would be pretty fun to do for the summer,” she said.

The Caseys — including the chairman's father Peter and sisters, Madelyn and Emily, who wanted to help out — weren’t certain how many glasses of lemonade they handed out. Though Patrick did have to make a run or two for some more cups. Overall, the experience has been “cool,” he said.

“Knowing that you made all this happen, and all these people coming here to raise money,” he said.

As for the money raised, it will go for the purchase of baby swaddles, Senior Development Officer Lori Aratari said.

“Working with the maternity department, we realized that we didn't have the funds to be able to purchase the baby swaddles. So I kind of put my thinking cap on and said what can we do that would interest the community and engage families to want to support purchasing the baby swaddles for every baby that's born?” she said. “We obviously want to make sure our babies are safe when we let them leave the hospital. We're hoping that this will become an annual event. And as you can see, folks are outdoing themselves with the variety of displays that they have to sell their lemonade, so it really was open to them to be creative.”

The goal was to raise $4,000 to buy 500 baby swaddles, and $3,600 had already been raised before the 5 p.m. start time through the hospital’s Just Giving online platform, Aratari said.(For more about the Baby Swaddle initiative, see related story, Tuck 'em in, keep 'em safe.) 

Photos by Howard Owens

Top photo: Patrick Casey, 10, this year's chairman of the first-time Lemonade Stands fundraiser for Rochester Regional Health and United Memorial Medical Center Foundation.

Second photo: The Casey family -- Patrick, Madelyn, Peter, Emily and Lauren -- enjoys working its stand Thursday at Centennial Park, Batavia. 

Emerson Warner with lactation nurse Jay Balduf

Marigrace Cummings pours a cool cup of lemonade for Rick and Jane Scott

Maiy, Knox and Fae work at their lemonade stand

Mercedes Houseknecht plays in bubbles.

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Department is investigating why a car went off the road in Pembroke and struck a parked van in the parking lot of 857 Main Road at about 5:46 p.m. on Thursday.

According to Pembroke Fire Chief Jamie Waff, the vehicle was traveling east on Main Road when it left the roadway and struck an employee’s van that was parked at the Kutter’s Cheese Factory Store.

The elderly male driver was extricated and was in and out of consciousness when he was transported by Mercy Flight to Erie County Medical Center. Waff says he suffered life-threatening injuries. The elderly female passenger suffered serious non-life-threatening injuries and was also transported to ECMC by a second Mercy Flight helicopter.

The driver may have suffered a medical issue before the crash.

Pembroke and Indian Falls Fire along with Mercy EMS responded to the scene along with the Sheriff’s Department.

Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.

Patrons of Batavia Downs Gaming wagered close to $90 million during the month of May, according to the chief financial officer for Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.

“Credits played in May came to $88.8 million with 7.2 percent of that – or $6.4 million – slotted into the “VGM (video game machine) net win” category,” Jacquelyne Leach said today. “Conceptually, about 8 percent of the total amount wagered makes up the net win.”

Leach reported that year to date “net win” stands at $31.6 million – a staggering number – but the public benefit company keeps a bit more than half of that amount.

Forty-nine percent of the net win goes to the New York State Gaming Commission, Leach explained, with 90 percent of that earmarked for education and 10 percent staying with the commission, which oversees gaming operations.

That leaves 51 percent, which stays with WROTB, Leach said, and is divided as follows:

• 37 percent -- Batavia Downs vendor fee, which includes a 10 percent distribution for harness horse racing purse payments, the Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association and breeders’ payments and 27 percent for operating expenses, such as payroll, utilities, etc.

• 10 percent -- Marketing allowance to promote Batavia Downs Gaming and horse racing.

• 4 percent -- Capital awards fund for capital improvements, debt service, etc.

“After all of the obligations are met and all operating expenses are paid, then the rest is distributed to our member municipalities,” Leach said, adding that the corporation’s surcharge distribution for May was $88,459 and that $315,000 has been generated for the municipalities since Jan. 1.

WROTB’s geographical area is comprised of 18 counties, 15 of which participate as members of the corporation, and the cities of Buffalo and Rochester.

In 2021, WROTB distributed $123,409 to Genesee County, $85,235 to Orleans County and $84,619 to Wyoming County. All told, distributions to all member municipalities for last year came to $5,793,184.

A public hearing is not required for approval of a 76-unit expansion of the Country Meadows housing community at 5121 Clinton Street Road, Batavia, but since some residents of Stringham Drive might be concerned about it, the Town of Batavia Planning Board agreed at Tuesday's meeting to hold a hearing.

A public hearing requires notification to neighboring residents and gives them an opportunity to express concerns or ask questions.

The hearing will be at 7 p.m., July 19 at the Batavia Town Hall.

Country Meadows is operated by Rochester MHP Portfolio LLC and owner Jeffrey Cook.  It currently contains 174 manufactured homes.

Stringham Drive is immediately to the south of the 75-acre parcel.

Engineer Glenn F. Thornton presented the development plans to the board on Tuesday and said steps are being taken to address any potential concerns of Stringham Drive residents.  

He said there is an additional 50 feet of separation between the new home lots and the property lines of Stringham Drive homes.

"It's heavily vegetated over there (along the southern boundary of the development), so we're proposing to leave all of the vegetation in place to kind of screen the two properties from each other," Thornton said.

The new lots will be slightly more spacious than the existing lots, he said. The current lots are about four to an acre, he said.  The new lots will be 2.5 per acre.

Much of the reason for the larger lots are the constraints imposed by the geography and infrastructure of the area being developed.   There needs to be proper stormwater drainage and there is an existing "fairly wide" town sanitary sewer easement through the property.

"I think everything we're proposing is within the 6,000 square foot minimum lot size," Thornton said. "The separations between the homes, the setbacks from the property lines, I believe everything is code compliant, so we're not looking for any variances."

Much of the discussion Tuesday was about stormwater drainage.  The plan includes a swale, already a natural feature of the property, to drain water into a retention pond so it can be slowly drained into the town's stormwater drainage system, as well as berms to help channel runoff.

The new development will not increase runoff on Stringham Drive, Thornton said.

"Stringham Drive's drainage is coming our way actually," Thornton said. "We're actually capturing the runoff from Stringham Drive that's coming out on our property and routing it around our home sites, trying to get it up into this swale (pointing to an architectural drawing) up in here. Really, anything within the development area we have to capture and route into our stormwater management areas. So anything we have is going into those areas where we'll mitigate the flow to existing conditions as it leaves the property."

There are currently three driveways serving the development.

Planning documents submitted by Thornton's firm state there will not be a significant increase in traffic as a result of the additional pre-manufactured homes. It states there will be 275 additional vehicle trips daily, with 19 additional trips during the peak morning hour and 42 during the peak afternoon hour, and most of those trips through the property's western driveway.

That driveway can easily accommodate the additional traffic, the report states.

Photo: Glenn Thornton. Photo by Howard Owens.

The Batavia Concert Band opened its 96th season on a perfect evening in Centennial Park on Wednesday with a tribute to long-time member Bob Knipe and a thank you to its 2022 sponsors, including (but not limited to) GO ART!, Brighton Securities, WBTA, and the Batavia Rotary Club.

Upcoming concerts are at 7 p.m. on July 27, July 6, July 13, July 20, July 27, and Aug. 6.

The July 3 concert will feature soloist Dave Hollenbeck, as part of the Pam Frisby Memorial Concert Series.  

The July 27 concert will be conducted by Batavia native and resident Joshua Pacino, current music teacher at Notre Dame.

Returning for his ninth season as conductor is John Bailey, Instrumental Music teacher at Pembroke Central School District and the organization is under the leadership of General Manager Jason Smith.

The concerts in the park are free.

The law firm representing Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. is preparing to file a motion to dismiss a suit filed by a former state senator alleging that the public benefit company illegally offered health insurance to its directors and improperly distributed sporting event tickets.

That’s the word from WROTB President Henry Wojtaszek this morning following the monthly board of directors meeting at the Park Road facility.

“That’s correct,” Wojtaszek responded when asked by The Batavian if filing a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by George Maziarz was going to be the first order of business by attorneys for Hodgson Russ LLP of Buffalo. “We don't believe it's brought properly, either substantively or procedurally. So, we'll make a motion to dismiss right off the bat.”

In mid-May, Maziarz, a state senator from Niagara County for 10 years through 2014, met with local media across the street from Batavia Downs Gaming to provide details of his suit – action that focuses on previously investigated accusations of misuse of sporting event and concert tickets and the legality of “gold-plated” health insurance given to appointed board members.

An audit by the New York State Comptroller’s office criticized WROTB over the handling of the tickets and also use of a company vehicle stemming from 2018-19, but Wojtaszek said those issues have been addressed and corrected.

Wojtaszek contends that Maziarz is waging a personal vendetta against him and WROTB in retaliation of Maziarz’s conviction of public corruption while in office.

The corporation’s board of directors this morning approved a contract to pay Hodgson Russ up to $25,000 to fight the suit.

Hodgson Russ also is representing WROTB in a $14.5 million wrongful termination lawsuit filed last August by Michael Nolan, the former chief operating officer at WROTB who was let go of his position in December 2020.

“We are just waiting for the judge to rule on the motions that are before him right now,” Wojtaszek said today. “We expect that (to happen) in three to six months.”

In other developments, Wojtaszek reported:

• The timetable of the Park Road Reconstruction Project “is coming along very well – we still anticipate them completing the project sometime in late September, early October.”

He said the traffic pattern may be changing soon, adding that Ryan Hasenauer, director of Marketing, will be sure to let the public know in advance.

“We met with the contractor, CATCO, yesterday and with the Town of Batavia, and there may be some effort to open up to two-way traffic at some points of Park Road to alleviate some of the traffic jams and also to help facilitate moving the project along and completing it in a more timely manner,” he said.

Wojtaszek said officials are looking at opening the road for two-way traffic starting at the intersection of Richmond Avenue (near Alex’s Place) and north toward Veterans Memorial Drive in the next couple weeks.

“The town needs to check with all the people involved, including the emergency services and the DOT (Department of Transportation) to make sure that can be accomplished. But again, we like to move to that next phase where maybe we reopened two-way traffic and where a different part of the road is closed off entirely.”

• The “odds are good” that the track’s harness horse racing season will be extended into January and February of 2023 as negotiations with the Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association are ongoing.

“We have a good relationship with the horsemen in Western New York,” he said. “They presented us with a very reasonable plan to have the racing occur here at Batavia Downs. So, the board is inclined to have the racing in January and February and we just have to work out the details of the contract.”

The 2022 racing season is set to begin on July 20 and originally was scheduled to run through Dec. 17 (with racing two or three nights per week). Previously, Wojtaszek indicated that the WNYHHA would reimburse Batavia Downs for the cost of operating in the first two months of next year.

• WROTB is looking to streamline its Off-Track Betting branch locations, likely moving from the current 10 throughout the region to maybe seven or eight. Along those lines, the corporation is entertaining a purchase offer for Military Road branch in Niagara Falls and will be putting the West Ridge Road, Rochester, branch on the market soon.

“We have a lot of EZ Bets now and we have our machinery at different bars and restaurants that help alleviate the need for full-scale branches,” Wojtaszek said.

• The corporation is considering hiring an insurance consultant in the wake of rising premiums.

The board approved a resolution to pay $1,089,824 to Garland Insurance & Financial Services for property and casualty liability insurance for one year, through June 1, 2023. Wojtaszek said the premium increase by about 7 percent from the previous year.

“The insurance industry has gone up, overall. We know that it’s a very tough environment, but the increase was substantial,” he said. “So, yes, we’d like to have someone else look at it try to help us with the insurance.”

Previously: Former state senator with his own corruption history files lawsuit against Batavia Downs alleging corruption

Previously: WROTB's Genesee County director sees 'no basis' for Nolan's lawsuit vs. corporation, president, board chair

Rendering by JMZ Architects and Planners for the new Student Success Center, shows the Conable Technology Building, to the far right, which is slated for a new roof.

It looks like Genesee Community College will be getting a new turf field, cooling tower, arts center connector and a roof for Conable Technology Building, with half of it to be paid for by Genesee County.

The county Legislature approved the request for 50 percent funding — $1.3 million — of the college’s capital projects during its Wednesday meeting.

The projects are to cost $950,000 for the turf field; $1.06 million for a new roof; $410,000 for cooling tower; and $180,000 for the  Arts Center connector replacement for a total of $2.6 million. The Legislature had committed to paying for half in November 2021, and the bill has been delivered. The county’s Ways & Means Committee had previously reviewed and recommended that the county pony up for the expense.

During talks last fall, college President James Sunser had called the projects “long-standing critical needs,” and urged the Legislature to enter into a 50-50 agreement to pay for them. The projects are part of GCC’s Facilities Master Plan, which was approved by the college’s Board of Trustees before being submitted to Genesee County and New York State’s Dormitory Authority. If the county committed to paying for half, the state would do likewise, Sunser had said.

The turf field will be a replacement for the nearly 13-year-old soccer and lacrosse field adjacent to Richard C. Call Arena; a new cooling tower would replace one that is “well past its useful life,”while an updated connective corridor will be situated between original buildings, from the cafeteria to the fine arts building and theater. A new roof for the Conable Technology Building would shore up one that was part of the original 2000 structure, which has developed leaks, Sunser had said. A new parking lot for Conable, at a cost of $800,000, would have made the county's total $1.7 million, and is not on the list approved by the Legislature.

At that meeting in November, Legislator Gary Maha had expressed concern about doling out $70 million for a new county jail, and that this additional spending was “kind of hard to swallow in one year.” Nonetheless, the full Legislature agreed to the move on Wednesday.

The county plans to transfer $1.3 million into the general budget, with 1 percent of sales tax offsetting the increased spending.

“Genesee County will be responsible for $1.3 million for said projects,” the resolution states.

In a time when gasoline has hugged the $5 a gallon price, and everything from food and clothing to furniture seems to be climbing in cost, sometimes it makes sense to flip the script.

That’s what Genesee County Legislator John Deleo did for the traditional prayer before Wednesday’s meeting.

Instead of posturing for divine guidance, he simply asked for some comfort.

“We ask you to look over us,” he said in the Old Courthouse chambers. “Inflation, the state of the nation … are taking a toll on us. People are finding it harder to buy food, or gas to go to work.”

In a June 10 article, “Inflation Sped Up Again in May, Dashing Hopes for Relief,” The New York Times pointed to high inflation and the Federal Reserve’s attempts to control it as contributing to “a sour economic mood.”

“Consumer confidence, which has been sinking since last year as households shoulder the burden of higher prices, plunged to a new low in a report out Friday,” the article stated. “President Biden’s approval ratings have also suffered, and Wall Street economists and small-business owners increasingly worry that a recession is possible in the next year.”

No wonder Deleo put away the platitudes and took to straight talk. The pressure is mounting, he said, and he asked the “heavenly Father” to keep people in His care.

“And give them the strength to get us through this,” the legislator said.

He also tacked on a plea that, instead of turning water into wine, that there are other, more valuable commodities to focus on.

“Let’s go with gas and diesel,” he said.

2022 File Photo of Genesee County Legislator John Deleo during a county meeting. Photo by Joanne Beck.

An approved request for $55,000 to pay for after-hours mental health services for the remaining six months of this year will extend Spectrum Health and Human Services to Dec. 31.

Genesee County Legislature approved the request Wednesday as one of 11 items previously reviewed by the Ways & Means Committee earlier this month.

The county’s day treatment program was closed, and funding for that will be redirected to the after-hours, on-call mental health needs of the county, Director of Community Mental Health Services Lynda Battaglia had previously said.

The goal is to potentially use county mental health staff for the after-hours needs, however, that’s not feasible given a current staffing shortage, staff had said. At the time, Legislator Gary Maha questioned the $55,000 price tag and short-term time period.

“For six months?” he said. “That’s a lot of money.”

The services were used mostly during the pandemic, staff said.

Genesee County Legislature agreed to provide a total not to exceed $55,0000; it will be transferred out of personal services, arts and crafts, activity fees, and food and paper monies that were not expended due to the closure of the Day Treatment program earlier this year.

Spectrum Health and Human Services is based in Orchard Park. The agency’s original contract was due June 30, which has now been extended to the end of this year for crisis services.

Other approvals included:

• To set a public hearing for 5:30 p.m. July 27 for an amended local law regarding the county’s weighted voting plans. There is also to be a public hearing at this time for a proposed operating budget for Genesee Community College's academic year 2022-23 in the amount of $37.2 million, with a sponsor share of $2,736,374. Genesee County is responsible for the sponsor share, and this reflects a $50,000 increase from the past year's share.
• To set a temporary part-time position for the Board of Elections to assist with early voting, per election law mandates. The position has been established at a rate of $20 per hour effective June 27, and has been created due to the impending retirement of a current Democratic board clerk/machine technician. The departing employee is to be available to help train the new, part-time person. This move has a budgeted salary of $55,000, deemed “sufficient for 2022.”
• A bid of $1,468,100 by Montante Construction for stonework at Genesee Justice, 14 West Main St., Batavia.

Fantasia Octavia Speed, 21, of Weaver Street, Rochester, is charged with grand larceny 3rd, grand larceny 4th, and conspiracy 5th. Speed is accused of stealing something from Walmart at 3:28 p.m., June 20.  Speed was released on her own recognizance.  The grand larceny 4th charge stemmed from a an arrest warrant held by the State Police. NOTE: Attempts to obtain more information on the alleged offense, specifically what was stolen, from the Sheriff's Office were unsuccessful.

Dontaya Nell Kyles, 30, of Affinity Lane, Greece, is charged with grand larceny 3rd. Kyles is accused of stealing merchandise from Walmart valued at more than $3,000. Kyles was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on her own recognizance.

Lauren Kay Pellegrino, 40, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with assault 3rd and menacing 3rd. Pellegrino is accused of assaulting another person at 8:45 p.m., June 20. She was arrested by Officer John Ceneviva and arraigned in Le Roy Town Court. She was released on her own recognizance and an order of protection was issued for her alleged victim.

Peter Jerome Vangalio, 49, of Genesee Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Vangalio is accused of going to the home of a person of a protected party in an order of protection at 11:55 p.m., June 19, on Genesee Street in Le Roy.  He was arrested by Officer Zachary Klafehn and released on an appearance ticket.