Yesterday's sunset in Stafford.
Photo by Chris Crocker
The 76th year of racing at Batavia Downs kicked off last evening with a great turnout. A total of 14 races of which 12 betting and 2 non betting was enjoyed by a great crowd.
Jim Mulcahy, horseman representative who grooms trainers and drivers has been at the track for 50 plus years helping organize each night of racing. There were 3 divisions and the majority were 2-year-old trotting phillies, New York sire stake races.
Wayne Teaven is the new track announcer who also announces in Buffalo too.
Photos by Steve Ognibene
The Batavia Town Board on Wednesday night voted to enter into agreements with Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. and Genesee Park Place Associates to install approximately 700 feet of new 12-inch sewer main as part of the Park Road Reconstruction Project.
According to two separate resolutions, WROTB and Genesee Park Place have agreed to cover up to $260,000 for the installation of the sanitary sewer line that will connect to their existing sewer systems.
The town would be responsible for expenses greater than that figure and, toward that end, the board passed a resolution calling for the issuance of serial bonds of up to $340,000, with financing over a seven-year period.
Town Supervisor Gregory Post said the bonding process, initiated months ago, is necessary in case the town decides to pay off the debt in that manner.
In a related development, the board approved a change order with Concrete Applied Technologies Corp., the Park Road project general contractor, to install the sewer main. The approved increase of $294,425 brings the total amount of the contract with CATCO to $4,495,001.
Additionally, the board passed a resolution approving an increase of up to $275,000 in a contract with Ravi Engineering and Land Surveying of Rochester for construction inspection services for the Park Road project.
In other action, the board:
Editor's note: This is a continuation of a series about what's happening in the city of Batavia
An attractive, modern entrance; sturdy and leak-free roof; thriving retail shops alongside well-established medical practices, and an onslaught of patrons wanting to visit, shop, eat and enjoy a welcoming space.
Not exactly what many locals envision with the current City Centre. An Urban Renewal nightmare. A property that’s co-owned and managed by the city of Batavia and individual merchants. City Centre hasn’t gained a reputation in recent years as a place to enjoy. Not in the concourse, with buckets catching drips from a roof and a deadened atmosphere from vacated properties and decreased foot traffic.
But that can — and will — change, city officials say. With a fair amount of work done so far — Phase I of a roof replacement, with Phase II in the works — there’s more to be done, Public Works Director Brett Frank said.
Each of the four silos that serve as entry and exit ways into the Centre are to be redesigned. He doesn’t have a definite timeline but said the process begins with design, and once that comes back and it all gets approved, the city will go out for bid on the project. He is also making sure that the cost is within the city’s construction budget, he said.
“Basically, the design of the silos is that it’s just your entryway into the City Centre … those are supposed to be architectural features that draw people in. The design is kind of up in the air right now. If it's something that, maybe, could possibly be more in line with the redesign that's taking place with the brickwork of City Hall — the hallways, Insurance Center to Islands Hawaiian Grill,” he said during a group interview with The Batavian. “But that's all kind of up in the air. So we're not exactly sure what we will get back from engineers; I'm sure either way, it's gonna look improved from what we have now. It will make it more inviting.”
Called silos because they are cylindrical in shape and stand separated from the mall with a set of doors to trap the outdoor air, these points of entry for visitors have been less than welcoming. Buckets stationed just inside the doors, and then throughout the mall, have made for jokes rather than an impressive image.
Time for a Rewind
After years of being embroiled in litigation, both the merchants and the City of Batavia agreed to a settlement in October 2017. The city agreed to repair, maintain and pay for items within the 46,000-square-foot public concourse and the merchants agreed to pay a yearly property maintenance user fee to the city.
Fees are $2.06 per square foot of each merchant’s individual property, which means different totals for each merchant, depending on the size of the business. Tabelski likens it to a condo or neighborhood association fee.
Part of the city’s agreement has meant employing one full- and two part-time employees to make the necessary repairs and maintain the concourse. These city positions are paid for with the user fees, Water and Wastewater Superintendent Michael Ficarella said.
“They do anything from mopping floors to changing lightbulbs to taking care of ceiling tiles,” he said.
It may not have been what everyone wanted, but it’s now about making the best of the situation, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said.
“So the agreement, as of the effective date (Oct. 24, 2017), affecting the mall, including the development and operating agreement, and the common facilities agreement of 1987:The city shall, for purposes of mall redevelopment and repairs, retain ownership of the mall concourse … the members of the Mall Merchants Association, their guests, customers, invitees shall continue to enjoy the rights to access the mall concourse, as has been customarily provided to each merchant. The mall concourse will be open to the public at reasonable times,” Tabelski said.
“So that's kind of the obvious portions of it. And then this section of the settlement agreement is called capital improvement. The city needed to develop a scope of work and bid specification to repair and improve the existing roof silos and skylights at the mall concourse collectively called the roof repairs," she said. "In the agreement, it was noted that they would keep the merchants apprised through the development of the scope of work, provide copies of these specifications and provide the proposal to the merchants for review.”
The Here and Now
According to the agreement, roof repairs were supposed to be completed by March 31, 2021. One large roof project had to be broken into two parts so that the city could pay for and finance it. The first chunk cost more than $763,000 and Phase II will be approximately $218,000, Frank said.
“So far, it's been rooftop unit number nine, that's been the biggest one,” Frank said.
He and Ficarella promised there would be no more buckets dotting the internal mall landscape.
Pre-COVID, the city had been awarded $1 million from the Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant, and had plans to repair/replace the concourse roof, redesign and construct new silos, and paint the floor and walls, thereby improving the entire interior look of the concourse, Tabelskis said.
But after COVID and the ensuing pandemic hit, a lot happened in the construction world.
“As we had gotten into the project and COVID occurred, and these crazy construction price overages and inflation had occurred, we kind of settled to the point where we probably were only going to be able to do the first phase,” she said.
“That's how we ended up with phase two of the mall roof replacement. Because it was originally, like 2019, and then the second phase was (scheduled to be) from 2020 to 2021,” she said.
Aside from those repair expenses, it takes about $225,000 to operate the mall and concourse space, Tabelski said. That pays for anything needed, and the general fund “does not in the traditional sense have to support the mall, because we're able to operate it by using the user fees,” she said.
The concourse stage has been used for seasonal and impromptu concerts when the weather turns bad, and Batavia Players have occasionally performed or run their acting lines while standing on it, Ficarella said.
The stage still is still useful, he said, as a concert venue during inclement weather, Christmas in the City, and other prospective special events.
Funding for the first phase is from a funding reserve, and about $120,000 is being taken from that $1 million for the silo design process. The remaining money will go for actually redesigning those silos. The city also has received a National Grid Urban Corridor Grant to help with economic development projects in the city, Tabelski said.
“We can apply some of those funds to the project as long as we're doing exterior work, and improving what we call the kind of the urban corridor of a City Centre as well. The budget was going to go a lot further four years ago, when the grant was awarded. But as we got into COVID, and changes in leadership at the city, we're finally getting back to getting the project moving. It's just the season we live in now that the money's not going to go as far as it used to.”
That doesn’t mean that an interior facelift can’t happen, she said, as “there's definitely the ability to start to look at budgeting for flooring and painting improvements.”
Moving Forward
There have certainly been the naysayers suggesting that the mall just be torn down. So how do city officials get people excited about a structure described as wasteful, an eyesore and dead?
Perhaps some perspective steeped in reality would help. The mall has a Merchants Association with individual property owners who run their businesses, medical practices and personal services out of that space. The city has no claim to those properties and therefore cannot just go in and tear it all down.
Tabelski also wants to remind folks that these are viable businesses that have invested money, time and effort into their mall properties. At one time, several years ago, there was talk of slicing off a portion of the mall and restructuring some of that building. That was then, this is now, Tabelski said.
“I would say those are definitely plans that are out there. But because of the nature of the condo-ized situation at the mall right now, the city's trying to make the best use of the property we have, and bring people down to this corridor and work with what we have,” she said. “So the taking down any portions of the mall is not on the table right now.”
Up next: Moving Forward, continued
Go here for prior coverage about the city and mall settlement
Photo of mall silo in Batavia; Valentine-themed buckets in 2020. Photos by Howard Owens. Dare to dream? These front entrances of Gemdale Plaza and Castle Mall are showy with lots of light and windows. Photos of "Mall Entries" by Sruthy Sukumaran.
Skillet doesn’t appear to be mellowing with age. Over a 15-year recording career that includes 10 previous studio albums, the Christian crossover band has firmly established their stylistic credentials within the metal/alternative rock universe.
Eleven albums into a career that began in 1996, Skillet is back with the decidedly hard-hitting new album, “Dominion,” and songs like “Beyond Incredible,” “Surviving The Game” and the title track that mix thick guitars, aggressive beats and grimy industrial-ish tones sweetened with big melodic choruses.
“I always laugh and tell people that as an artist I seem to have a really hard time knowing when something sounds different than the last record,” Skillet singer/guitarist John Cooper observed in a recent phone interview. “But my feeling is that this record is, it’s heavier...Some of that might be because of the Churko influence. That’s kind of what they do, isn’t it?”
The Churkos would be Kevin Churko, who produced and contributed to the songwriting on “Dominion,” and his brother, Kane Churko, who was also involved in the songwriting and production of the album.
“There’s something about Kevin’s production that’s just very big on the low end. It’s very, very punchy,” Cooper said of his producer, who has worked with Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch and Disturbed, among others. “He’s just a really, really great producer, and I’m a huge fan. So I was like ‘Kevin, do what you do. We want people to hear this music and feel like they’re coming out of the gate, coming out of the gate from pandemic and depression and sadness and despair, and they are coming out of the gates ready to take the world on. Whatever the world brings, they’re going to crush it. That’s what I want people to feel when they hear this music. And he’s like ‘Yup, I’m on it.’”
Skillet is taking that energy, spirit – and volume -- on the road, playing a variety of festival dates this summer, including Kingdom Bound 2022 at Darien Lake Amphitheatre on July 24.
“We’ll play a couple of new songs, and then, of course, you’ve got to play the songs that you know people are going to be really mad if you don’t play,” Cooper said.
Photo courtesy of Skillet
There are 13 students participating in the third annual week-long Genesee County Sheriff’s Office Teen Academy at Genesee Community College this week. The program was started by Deputy Matthew Butler in 2018 while he was a School Resource Officer at Byron-Bergen High School. Butler retired in 2019, and the academy was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
This is the first year the program has been at Genesee Community College, which organizers chose for its central location in Genesee County.
“Byron-Bergen was a great host, but we received feedback that the location was a long haul for some. GCC is a central location, and it is readily available for kids from every school district in Genesee County,” says Deputy/SRO Rich Schildwaster, who is now Lead Deputy of the Teen Academy.
GCC also offers virtual technology, which is new to the program this year.
“We did not have this option a couple of years ago and its one of the things we have been able to add because GCC has a simulator here as part of their criminal justice program,” Schildwaster said.
Students walk into a virtual reality and have a scenario going on in front of them where they interact with people on the screen.
“The scenario can go in different directions. They may be presented with a deadly force encounter, or they may not. They have to make that judgement. It gives them that perspective. Scenarios range from a traffic stop where you walk up to a car and deal with a person to maybe an active shooter situation where you show up in front of the building and people are running out, and you go in and you have to appropriately handle that or try and make decisions like a law enforcement officer would.”
The VirTra Training simulator at GCC has also been used by local law enforcement agencies over the past few years to help prepare law enforcement officers for real-life incidents and different scenarios.
The goal of the Teen Academy is to attract good candidates to the law enforcement field. The academy is run like an actual police academy. Each day begins with physical training like CrossFit, which Deputy Chad Cummings and Investigator Chad Minuto organize.
Students have attended instructional classes on investigations, penal law, traffic stops, defensive tactics and a Stop the Bleed class where students can recognize life-threatening bleeding and intervene effectively.
On the last day of the academy, students will tour the jail, the courthouse, the Sheriff’s Office, dispatch center, view an ERT demonstration and attend communications and jail staff presentations. Students will take a final PT test, final exam, and attend a review followed by an afternoon graduation ceremony.
Schildwaster says his first year organizing the academy has been a great experience and the local community has stepped up to assist.
“We have a great community here, not all of our instructors are from the Sheriff’s Office. Everyone in the community has jumped on this whole-heartedly and embraced us. Everybody’s dedication makes all this come together because everyone believes in it and is excited to do this. It’s a good program for the kids.”
Top photo: Paramedic Wade Schwab talks with students of the Teen Academy Wednesday morning at GCC. Students participate in the Stop the Bleed class; Investigator Joe Loftus teaches Defensive Tactics class on Wednesday afternoon; Investigator Kevin Forsyth also teaches Defensive Tactics class on Wednesday afternoon; Deputy SRO Jeremy McClellan with students on Wednesday morning; and Deputy Morgan Ewert, left, Paramedic Wade Schwab, center, and Deputy Jordan Alejandro, right, with students on Wednesday. Photos by Alecia Kaus.
Don Hoover, who grew up in North Tonawanda, took an interest in harness racing while attending Schenectady Union College near Saratoga Springs.
Before long, he was a horse owner and saw some success after college, so he quit his job at a bank so that he could train and drive his own horses. After a few years, he moved into management at harness tracks, then spent some time with his own horses again before being offered the job as live racing director and racing secretary in February at Batavia Downs.
Hoover said he's very pleased he received the job offer, and happy that he accepted it. Batavia Downs is a special place, he said.
"Since I left Saratoga, and before I came to Batavia, I had the opportunity to race at every single racetrack in New York State," Hoover said. "Quite honestly, Batavia has the best overall facility of any of the tracks in New York State. They've redone the clubhouse. The clubhouse is great. Some of the tracks don't even open their clubhouses any more. Actually, the majority of them don't, or their clubhouses are open on a very limited basis.
"The track surface here was always a place that I liked to come race. It's always in great shape. Just the overall ambiance of Batavia Downs from when you walk into the lobby downstairs, whether you're coming to play slots, or coming to get something to eat, or coming in to watch the races. I know it's cliche, 'the friendly track,' but it's actually true. You feel it right when you walk in."
Press Release:
ITHACA, NY (07/20/2022)-- Ithaca College congratulates students named to the Dean's List for the spring 2022 semester. They are:
Aleah Callan of Batavia
Brianna Warrant of Corfu
About Ithaca College
Founded in 1892, Ithaca College is a residential college dedicated to building knowledge and confidence through a continuous cycle of theory, practice and performance. Home to some 5,200 students, the college offers more than 90 degree programs in its schools of Business; Communications; Humanities and Sciences; Health Sciences and Human Performance; and Music, Theatre, and Dance.
Students, faculty and staff at Ithaca College create an active, inclusive community anchored in a keen desire to make a difference in the local community and the broader world. The college is consistently ranked as one of the nation's top producers of Fulbright scholars, one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly schools in the country, and one of the top 10 colleges in the Northeast.
A load that was so large, that when it came through the Village of Le Roy today Department of Transportation crews had to lift the traffic lights from the intersection of Lake Street and Main Street.
Photos by Mary Margaret Ripley.
Press release:
The Friends of the Rink organization donated $700.00 to the David M. McCarthy Memorial Foundation to support their grant program for youth sport organizations in Genesee County. The $700.00 represents the proceeds from a hot dog sale fundraiser recently held during the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena naming ceremony, which was attended by over 150 people. Friends of the Rink volunteers planned and staffed the fundraiser and sold 120 hot dogs in the two hours of operation.
Photo: In the front row, Hunter Sprague, Dylan Grice, Ronan McCarthy, Carley Grice, and in the back, Brian McCarthy (David M. McCarthy Memorial Foundation), Bob Gray (Friends of the Rink), Mike McCarthy (David M. McCarthy Memorial Foundation) Provided photo by Kristine McCarthy
Press release:
With high temperatures, we want to be sure you understand possible dangers. To protect oneself from heat-related stress and prevent heat-related problems, the CDC recommends the following tips:
- Drink cool, nonalcoholic beverages (If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him/her how much you should drink when the weather is hot.)
- Rest.
- Take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath.
- If possible, seek an air-conditioned environment.
- Wear lightweight clothing.
- If possible, remain indoors in the heat of the day.
- Do not engage in strenuous activities.
Danger signs for Heat Exhaustion-call the doctor if any of these symptoms arise:
- heavy sweating
- paleness
- muscle cramps
- tiredness
- weakness
- dizziness
- headache
- nausea or vomiting
- fainting
- skin – cool & moist
- pulse rate – fast & weak breathing – fast & shallow
Danger signs for Heat Stroke – needing immediate medical attention:
- extremely high body temperature (above 103 degrees F)
- red, hot and dry skin (no sweating)
- rapid strong pulse
- throbbing headache
- dizziness and nausea
Batavia Downs live racing meet is back on July 20! Check out the website for details and promotions at BataviaDownsGaming.com They’d like you to meet one of their staff for the upcoming meet.
A proposal to expand the Country Meadows Manufactured Homes Community on Clinton Street Road in the Town of Batavia is not sitting well with the residents of nearby Stringham Road.
About 35 people -- the overwhelming majority of them owners of homes on Stringham Drive – turned out for a public hearing conducted by the Batavia Town Planning Board on Tuesday night at the Town of Batavia Fire Station No. 2 on Stringham Drive.
Following a brief presentation by Glenn Thornton, an engineer representing Country Meadows’ owner Jeffery Cook, attendees peppered the planning board with several questions, focusing on the following issues:
SEVENTY-SIX MORE LOTS
Thornton, making his second appearance in front of the planning board in the past four weeks, said the plan is to take a 30-acre portion in the northwest quadrant of the park’s 75 acres and develop 76 more mobile home lots.
Currently, the park consists of 174 mobile homes with about four lots per acre, Thornton said. The proposal calls for two and a half lots per acre, and would include extensions to existing roads in the mobile home park that, according to Thornton, would be “privately owned and maintained – total compliant, private roads.”
“We propose to extend water mains and sanitary sewers so every lot will be served with municipal sewer and water,” he said, adding that lighting would be installed at the new intersections and at the end of the road.
Thornton also said that the expansion would include three stormwater ponds to capture and treat all stormwater runoff from the development area to satisfy state Department of Environmental Conservation regulations.
Property owner Cook said that the new mobile homes for sale would cost in the $80,000 to $120,000 range and that about 80 percent of those would be “double-wide” with paved driveways.
PARK RESIDENT: FIX EXISTING AREA
Judy Schildwaster, a longtime resident of the mobile home park, opened the public hearing by expressing her dismay with the lack of upkeep of the roads and tree trimming.
“This is the ninth owner since 1990 … and I see no improvement,” she said, adding that she doesn’t know the name of the property manager. “I’d like to see them come down and fix what they already own before they put in something new.”
Her statement drew a round of applause and opened the door for the Stringham Drive residents to pose their questions to the board and the developers. Planning Board Chair Kathleen Jasinski indicated that the questions would be addressed after everyone had a chance to speak.
Jeff Anders asked if they would be putting a berm up “to hide your eyesore from the rest of the neighbors” and also if there was a plan in place to address the decrease in Stringham Drive homeowners’ property values (prompting more applause).
He then asked those in attendance if they were in favor of this and received a resounding “No.”
James Myers said he heard there would be an access road from the mobile home park to Stringham Drive for emergency vehicles and wanted to know what would prevent people from using it to get into the park?
Roger Bickle said there is an open field behind his house and asked what “would be put in there so we don’t have to look at that?”
Daniel Edwards sought to find out how many feet the expansion will come within the Stringham Drive back yards, and if the woods would remain or be taken down. He also asked questions about water and sewer drainage, wildlife and home values.
NOT IN OUR BACKYARD
“Respectfully, homeowners don’t want to live next to a mobile home park,” he said. “This will disrupt the beauty of living out in the town, on a dead-end street, with woods behind me. I have privacy – and now, I will be staring at mobile homes when I look out my back windows.”
David Sprung, who said his lot is the “lowest on the road,” said he was concerned about flooding, noting that he bought his lot with the understanding that it was wetlands and would never be developed.”
He said he figures this expansion is a “done deal” but asked the developer to consider the drainage issues.
Sprung also said he would oppose an emergency access road next to his house since it would likely be used by bicyclists and others looking for a short cut through the park or onto Clinton Street Road.
“It’s a pretty quiet neighborhood right now and I’d like to keep it that way,” he said.
Jasinski, responding to questions about starting date of the project, said, “We can’t tell you that now because we just started looking at the project.”
“It’s not approved (yet) … we’re going to work on it to make it the best project for everybody.”
Robert Rindo said he opposed an access road and believed that the increase in the number of cars would be a major problem.
Town Building Inspector Dan Lang said his department conducts annual inspections and additional inspections when receiving complaints. He did say that Country Meadows was “the best kept (mobile home) park in the Town of Batavia right now.”
THORNTON: ACCESS ROAD NOT IN PLAN
When given a chance to respond, Thornton emphasized that there are no plans to add an access road from Stringham Drive into the expansion.
“That’s not on our agenda right now,” he said, but added that they may be forced to put one in for emergency purposes (per a recommendation from the Genesee County Planning Board).
Thornton said his plan includes a 50-foot buffer zone from the Stringham Drive lots – up from the current 35-foot setback – and will maintain existing drainage patterns and existing vegetation.
“We’re listening to you,” he said, noting that an extension of Briarwood Terrace would run over two 36-inch culverts to facilitate proper drainage. He also said traffic studies have been completed and he doesn’t see that there will be an overload to the current roads in the mobile park.
Jasinski said the planning board has many questions as well, and will perform a State Environmental Quality Review during a meeting in August. She invited residents to attend future meetings and to send her emails with additional questions or concerns to kjasinski@townofbatavia.com.
In another development, the board set a public hearing for Aug. 16 at the Batavia Town Hall on West Main Street Road to consider a pair of ground-mounted solar farms on Alexander Road.
Renewable Properties, working with Bergmann Associates engineering firm of Rochester, is seeking approval of special use permits to install a 14-acre, 3-megawatt solar farm on a 29-acre parcel at 9183 Alexander Rd. and a 10-acre, 1.6-megawatt system at 9071 Alexander Rd.
Previously: Stringham Drive residents can weigh in on expansion of Country Meadows, though public hearing not required
Batavia Muckdogs played rival Jamestown Tarpskunks last evening at Dwyer Stadium following a rain out non-league game versus Cortland Monday night.
Top of 2nd Brandon Lane scores on error at second base to give the Tarpskunks a 1-0 lead. Bottom of 3rd Muckdogs Kenny Dodson comes home on a successful double steal to tie the game 1-1.
The remaining of the game remained scoreless until Batavia loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th with no outs. Jerry Reinhart is at the plate. After four straight ball pitches, Jerry earned a walk off walk and Muckdogs earn their eighth win in a row to remain 3.5 games in first place in the west division ahead of Utica.
Next game is tonight at Niagara Power, game time 5:30pm.
Next home game is tomorrow night at 7pm versus Elmira.
To view or purchase photos, click here.
Photos by Steve Ognibene
Sometimes no action can be a good thing, especially when it comes to construction sites.
Project Executive Mark Bollin, of The Pike Company, shared that during his Genesee County Jail progress report to the county’s Public Service Committee this week.
“As it relates to safety, there have been no lost-time accidents at all. And all the contractors continue to abide by the OSHA requirements and their own safety plans, contracts, bonds and insurances,” he said. “All prime contracts have been fully executed, the contract for the special inspections and testing has been finalized and executed. With the stormwater prevention plan, there's been no issues.”
Those housekeeping details have helped to ensure a good flow of communication, he said.
“Communication is going really well, with the county, engineers and contractors.”
Foundation work has included stockpiling and stabilizing topsoil, creating an infiltration test pond, underground utilities and fire and water infrastructure is a little over half complete, at 55 percent, he said.
Senior Project Manager Carl York said that backfills were to begin this week, and all contractors are working on a three-dimensional model of the building to make sure everything fits according to plan.
In addition to the actual physical work, however, there has been that critical element of open communication and cooperation, York said.
“Ever since we started the job, and quite intensely the last month, all the contractors have been working on the final baseline schedule. The general contractor has been meeting with each of the contractors to get their information, and we've had separate meetings where everybody's together and everybody goes through the schedule and agrees on the logic in there. That same schedule has been sent to Pike scheduling department for review and comment and is now finally been finalized,” York said. “This is going extremely well. The meetings are very well attended, it’s very positive. We’re getting a lot done. It’s a very positive process right now.”
Rainy weather — though needed for brown lawns and thirsty crops — caused contractors to lose three and a half days of work. It’s “nothing out of the ordinary,” Bollin said.
Construction trailers are all in place, and remaining contractors are to bring in their trailers over the next couple of months, usually around August, York said. National Grid has yet to provide its design for getting power out to the site, he said.
“It's still in design and up in Albany, so we're still facing that. National Fuel did come out and walk the site. But they have not provided us anything for their design yet for the gas coming over to the proper foundation,” he said. “All of the contractors and the design team are all working on the 3D model of the building, looking for clash infections and making sure that everything's going to fit. We're about a third of the way through that whole process.”
“If we didn't include that in the original bids, we didn't know what we're going to be encountering. Once we saw what the site was going to be like this was the best thing to do to create a stable work area so that the site's not muddy and progress would not be delayed by rain like this,” he said.
County Legislator Shelley Stein asked him what the greatest challenge has been. With little pause, he said “material availabilities.” Obtaining necessary materials has been difficult, and at times “we can’t even get sample kits,” he said.
“I’m most concerned about the National Grid and getting power to the site. Our switchgear getting here, and then the rooftop, those are our biggest worries. I mean right now that we've got time budgeted in the schedule for this, but if they start slipping, then those are all critical items that will directly impact the schedule.”
The new jail, adjacent to County Building 2 and Genesee County Animal Shelter on Route 5 in Batavia, is still on track for a March 2024 completion, Bollin said.
Photo: Mark Bollin, left, and Carl York discuss the progress of Genesee County Jail during the Public Services meeting this week. Photo by Joanne Beck.
Wayne Teaven grew up around harness racing. His parents had a horse in the 1980s and they often went to Buffalo Raceway. Teaven was quite impressed as a lad by the race announcer there, Pete Szymanski.
"He used to have this way about him," Teaven told The Batavian. "He used to be very comical in his calls. He would add flavor, and he would add a little personality to it. I always thought that was great. I'm like, 'Man, this guy is really good. And I wouldn't mind being that someday.'"
It's that flair and flavor that the Lyndonville native says he tries to bring to his race calls, either at Batavia Raceway, where he has worked since 2016, or now at Batavia Downs as he takes over this season as the full-time race announcer.
UPDATE 1:11 p.m.: Our control of the page appears to be restored. The feed of news headlines to the page should resume soon.
The Batavian's page on Facebook is not currently controlled by any person associated with The Batavian. It was hijacked.
We have notified Facebook and are working with a local news association to try and regain control of the page.
We initially lost control of the page on Monday morning and regained control by the afternoon. We lost control again on Tuesday morning and have been unable to regain control.
It's my fault, in a way. I downloaded an app from the Apple Store called Pages Manager Suite from a developer called Meta Sun Company Limited. That app appears to be the most likely culprit in the hijack. The hijackers appear to have used Facebook's programming interface to take over my business manager account, demoting me to "employee," removing all business information and access to my business pages, and installing themselves as "business admin(s)."
The Apple Store is supposed to be a "walled garden" with security features to prevent malicious apps from appearing in the store. This same app is in the store, I now see, multiple times from multiple "developers." So beware if you have a Facebook business account and come across an app you think might help you manage your Facebook business pages. Facebook (Meta, now, really, at a corporate level) does offer an app called Business Suite. Stick to that app no matter how much you may find it annoying.
A security advisor's biggest concern is that the hijackers wanted to use the page to buy Facebook ads using my credit card. Fortunately, they were unable to remove my access to my ad manager account, and I've deactivated the account.
So far, there is nothing amiss with our page. There is no evidence of it being used to install malware or post false information or spam. The hijackers could potentially use messenger to fool people into downloading something malicious but I've received no complaints of any such attempt.
For the time being, we are unable to post news links to the page.
I'm told it may take weeks for Facebook to resolve the issue but that Facebook will likely eventually resolve it satisfactorily.
Press release:
The 2022 harness racing season will get underway at Batavia Downs at 6 p.m. on Wednesday (July 20) and when fans enter the property, they will notice the staff and facilities have undergone some major changes. Those started at the top and touched every aspect of the racing program in order to provide a positive and enjoyable experience for everyone this year.
Don Hoover has joined the Downs team and will serve in two positions. He is the Director of Live Racing and also the track’s new Race Secretary. Hoover is a western New York native who has extensive harness racing experience both as a horseman and on the administrative side. He has been on site at Batavia since early spring getting acquainted with his new positions and preparing for opening night.
“I am very excited about the upcoming 56 day live race meet here at Batavia Downs Gaming and Hotel. Henry (Wojtaszek, President and CEO of Batavia Downs Gaming) and Scott (Kiedrowski, Vice-President of Operations at Batavia Downs Gaming) have provided me with a great team to work with and I feel that we have all the pieces in place for an outstanding year. Obviously the highlight of the meet will be August 26 when we host two divisions of the New York Sire Stakes going for a total of $206,000 and the Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace with an enhanced purse of $75,000. I can’t wait to welcome the fans in for the opening night card,” said Hoover.
Patty Bruno, who has years of experience in the race office at Batavia, will continue to work alongside Hoover as the Assistant Race Secretary and Program Director. Bruno’s resume also includes race secretary overseeing the New York Sire Stake county fair program.
Mary Bucceri has been named Administrative Assistant and Group Sales Manager. Although Bucceri has been a Batavia team member since 2005, this new position has her geared towards bringing in new patrons, and providing them with a great time while exposing them to both harness racing and the outstanding facilities Batavia Downs has to offer.
The track itself has been completely re-graded and resurfaced with the best material available, all done under the supervision of track guru Kim Crawford. Crawford had the Genesee County oval lightning fast last year and it was widely hailed by visiting horsemen as one of the best surfaces to race over in New York state.
Missy Rothfuss, who is one of the most respected outriders in the sport, will be joining Batavia Downs after 26 years at The Meadows. She will lead the post parade nightly and provide any necessary assistance to horsemen on the track during race nights to insure the safety and well-being of all the participants.
The last two changes on the racing side include the addition of Wayne Teaven as the voice of the Downs and Wendy J Lowery who is the new track photographer. They will bring a fresh sound and look to their respective positions that will add to the overall race day experience.
This year’s schedule starts with a Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday rotation that will run through the end of August. There is one special card on Friday (Aug. 26) featuring two divisions of the New York Sire Stakes and Batavia Down’s signature stake, the $75,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace. Post time for the six Sundays is 1:15 p.m. and all Wednesdays, Saturdays and the Friday are at 6 p.m.
The schedule changes in September to Wednesday, Friday and Saturday with two exceptions. There is a special Labor Day matinee on Monday (Sept. 5) at 1:15 p.m. and no racing on Friday (Sept. 9). Again all post times (except Labor Day) are at 6 p.m. In October only the first Friday of the month will be raced and then it will be Wednesday and Saturday until the meet ends on December 17. All post times will be at 6 p.m. except Saturday (Nov. 5) which has a special 3:15 p.m. start due to the Breeders Cup.
All eight divisions of the New York Sire Stakes will be contested at the Downs this year and those eligible horses will compete for an estimated $784,000 in purses. Plus the NYSS Excel “A” and “B” series will also be held on those nights, driving that purse value even higher. The stakes will be in town on Wednesday July 20, July 27, August 3, August 10, August 17, Friday August 26 (when two divisions will go along with the $75,000 Kane Memorial) and Wednesday August 31.
Batavia Downs will continue to provide free downloadable full past performance racing programs on their website at bataviadownsgaming.com under the live racing tab (on the left). The Batavia Downs YouTube channel will also furnish free live streaming of all the races.
There are several promotions to note on opening night. There is a mandatory payout of an $1,188 carryover on the Jackpot Pick-6 in race 5. Free print programs will be available at the track on Wednesday as well. Free OTB programs for Batavia live will also be available for the first three days of the meet (July 20, 23, 24).
Also on opening night will be a free $500 “Lotta Cash” giveaway. Beginning in race two and running through race 11, one lucky winner will be drawn at random after each race from entries submitted and the winner will receive a $50 betting voucher. You must be 18 years of age to enter and present to win.
And you can enter to win a “Stay and Play” package Wednesday that includes a one night stay at the Batavia Downs Gaming Hotel. Simply swipe your Player’s Club card between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to be eligible for the free random drawing. Again, you must be present to win.
Other promotions scheduled during the year include $2 Sunday’s which will offer $2 hot dogs, draft beer and soda on Sunday August 7, 21 and 28 from noon to 4 p.m. Monday (Sept. 5) is the annual Labor Day driver’s bike race sponsored by Mama Squirrels Nest. Eight bikes will be given away and $2 hot dogs, draft beer and soda will be available from noon to 4 p.m. And Sunday (Oct. 16) will be the highly anticipated Wiener Dog races.
The newly remodeled Clubhouse and Rail Bar will be open at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday (when racing) and Saturday, offering a limited bar food menu along with a full buffet that is now located on the lower level for easier access. Wednesday is a home-style Buffet while Friday and Saturday features prime rib and shrimp.
In the grandstand, the Homestretch Grill is newly remodeled and is offering fresh made-to-order subs, deli sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers and coming soon, brick oven pizza. They are open until 8 p.m. nightly.
The wagering menu is tasty as well. On a 10-race program, besides win, place and show there will be three daily doubles, 10 exactas, 10 trifectas, nine superfectas, two Pick-3’s, two Pick-4’s, one Pick-5 and one Jackpot Super High Five, all with low minimum wagers.
All of last year’s top drivers will be returning including Jim Morrill Jr., Kevin Cummings, Kyle Cummings, Drew Monti and Dave McNeight III. Top local trainers will be headed by last year’s leaders Jennifer Giuliani, Maria Rice, Jim McNeight and Shawn McDonough. And they will be joined by some new stables moving in.
Jennifer Sansone will be shipping 16 horses from Kentucky and Pocono to stable at Batavia Downs, all to be driven by Fern Paquet Jr. Western New York native Jim Rothfuss will be returning home from The Meadows with a barn of 20 horses, many of which are locally owned. And other trainers who will be shipping in include Joe Skowyra, Kevin Reynolds Jr., Dale Gilmour and David Daigneault.
There was a 30 percent increase in stalls allotted this year to handle the large influx of requests from horsemen who wanted to race at Batavia Downs and with that increased horse population, very competitive racing should be seen during the meet.
For more information and updates all year, follow Batavia Downs Racetrack on Facebook or log onto the website at bataviadownsgaming.com.
Photo: File photo from 2013 by Howard Owens
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