Dealing just with hard numbers -- setting aside speculation on hoped-for new revenue and "the multiplier effect" of jobs created -- the tax abatement plan approved Thursday by the Genesee County Economic Development Center Board for a new hotel at Batavia Downs should be profitable for taxpayers, according to data obtained by The Batavian from a GCEDC staffer.

The abatements will save developers about 11.5 percent on their $5.49 million investment, and the new taxes the project generates will be about a 100-percent return to taxpayers, if you accept the notion that the project doesn't get built at all without the tax incentives. If not, it's at least 42-percent return.

By law, the developer must certify that the project requires a tax break to be feasible, according to Rachael J. Tabelski, marketing and communications director. That is a requirement for all projects considered by the GCEDC.

"We have to trust the applicant that when they say this project won't be a viable project without the tax incentives," Tabelski said.

ADK Hospitality, the hotel's developer, will save $638,000 in taxes over the next 10 years, but it won't be getting off totally free. The hotel's owners, over the next 10 years, will pay $1.1 million in various taxes.

Tabelski was quick to point out that the $638,000 in tax breaks is not money taken from taxpayers. It's just money that isn't paid to the government; money that doesn't exist if the project isn't built. Thus, the $1.1 million in taxes ADK will pay over the next decade is all new revenue for schools, the county and the state (but not the Town of Batavia, which doesn't have its own tax on property).

That figure doesn't include sales tax generated by the hotel, or any anticipated increase in sales tax generated by the hoped-for increase in business at Batavia Downs. It also doesn't include employment taxes generated by the anticipated $600,000 in payroll for 25 full-time equivalent new hires at the hotel. 

The developers told the GCEDC Board that the project would generate a total of $2.8 million in tax revenue between now and 2025, but there isn't a breakdown available on what categories of taxes comprise that total. It likely covers fire district, property, bed tax, sales tax and payroll tax.

The $1.1 million in hard numbers we have includes:

• $56,000 paid to the Town of Batavia Fire District;
• $550,000 paid in county bed taxes;
• $500,000 paid in property taxes over the life of the PILOT.

A PILOT is a tax break given to developers of projects that industrial development agencies, such as GCEDC, believe will create or retain jobs. It is a reduction in taxes on the increase in assessed value of a property.

Let's say a property is valued at $100,000. A business ads a new wing to its building and increases the assessed value to $150,000. The business continues to pay all property taxes on the initial $100,000 in assessed value, but gets a reduction in taxes on that additional $50,000. PILOT agreements vary, but typically, there would be no taxes due the first two years of the increase, and then taxes would be incrementally increased every two years until the 10th year, when the property owner is paying the full tax bill on the increase in assessed value.

In the case of the hotel property, the developers are buying land from Western OTB, which is currently tax-exempt and has no assessed value. It will be assessed next year, and its assessed value will go from zero to whatever that assessed value is, and the PILOT will be calculated based on that increase, unless the project is not yet completed, in which case there will be only a partial assessment with a full assessment to come during the next annual assessment period after the project's completion.

The PILOT on this project is worth $300,000. The remaining abatements are for the mortgage tax on the purchase and on the sales taxes due on material purchased during construction.

As for the multiplier effect, that's a controversial notion to some, but the idea is that if you create a new job and pay that person money, they will spend some amount of that money locally, and the churn of that money will help pay other people's wages, lifting everyone's boats. That $600,000 in new payroll could be worth millions in economic growth locally.

These figures also don't include wages paid to construction workers and purchases made from local vendors -- if any -- during construction.

An oven fire is reported at 4 Evergreen Drive. City firefighters are responding. The location is between North Spruce and Vine streets.

Area dairy farmers were invited to a pasture walk today at the farm of John and Sue Mikel, on East Bethany Le Roy Road, Stafford, by the Cornell Cooperative Extension. John and Sue own and operate Mikelholm Holsteins, a small grazing dairy they started on a 30-acre field they purchased seven years ago. They built a house and barn with a milking parlor.

They graze their 35 cows plus youngstock on the remaining land and supplement their diet with purchased feed. They also knew grazing would provide health benefits to the cows and reduce demands on labor. An added benefit was the reduced bedding costs while the cows are out to pasture.

The discussion included how John and Sue got started, fence and laneway layout, nutrition balance and summer rations as well has how to control parasites. 

It was a big day for the students at Jackson School. They moved up a grade, receiving certificates of continuation from administrators during a ceremony in the Batavia High School auditorium.

Press release:

Genesee County STOP-DWI Coordinator Matt Landers announced today that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of Le Roy Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.

The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on July 3rd and will end on July 6th. The 4th of July extended weekend is historically a deadly period for impaired driving. This year the 4th of July falls on a Saturday so we expect heavy traveling to begin on Thursday July 2nd and festivities to begin on Friday July 3rd and run through Monday July 6th.

Americans love to celebrate Independence Day with family, friends, food and fireworks, but all too often the festivities turn tragic on the nation's roads. The fact is, this iconic American holiday is also one of the deadliest holidays of the year due to drunk-driving crashes.

According to data from NHTSA, during July 4th holiday period over the last five years (from 2009 to 2013), 750 people lost their lives in crashes involving drivers with a BAC of .08 or more. These fatalities account for 39 percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities over this same five-year period. The New York State Police, County Sheriff and municipal law enforcement agencies will collaborate across the state and will be out in force in this coordinated effort to aggressively target those who put lives in danger.

Undersheriff William Sheron said, “The traffic volume will increase on and around the 4th of July. All drivers will need to take extra precautions and drive defensively. Drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs add to the danger on our highways. That is why the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office will have extra patrols out, dedicated to DWI enforcement, over this holiday weekend.”

The 4th of July Weekend Crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association. The Statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign also targets Labor Day Weekend, Halloween and the national Holiday Season in December.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol- and drug-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving.

A grass fire is reported behind 20 N. Spruce St. City firefighters are responding.

UPDATE 12:21 p.m.: Fire is out. City assignment is back in service.

A car vs. bicycle accident is reported at 8400 Lewiston Road. The bicyclist "is down in the road, blocking traffic, not moving." Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The location is in front of Tops Market.

Members of City Fire, IAFF Local 896, are in the midst of their annual fundraising effort on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association this morning, asking passing motorist to "fill the boot."  The firefighters are on Main Street and Ellicott Street around Court Street and will be in place until 1 p.m.

Press release:

“Tonight I voted against an omnibus legislation rushed through the legislative process on the final day of session because it contained a variety of poorly constructed bills. Despite the inclusion of mild tax rebates in the bill, we have not accounted for postage, printing, processing and personnel to construct and mail out property-tax rebate checks. These added costs will surely be paid for by taxpayers and will drain resources from other areas of future budgets, such as education and infrastructure aid. Furthermore, these checks will substantially increase and be mailed out only days before Gov. Cuomo’s reelection in 2018. We should not be buying votes with taxpayer dollars. 

“The ‘Big Ugly’ bill fails to address the root cause of soaring property taxes in New York State: unfunded mandates. The average state receives 2 percent of its revenue as transfers from local governments while New York receives 15 percent of its revenue from local governments. In shifting roughly 1/7 of the costs of the state to local governments, we have forced them to raise property taxes to make up the lost revenue. This is shameful and irresponsible governing. Tax rebate checks or a property-tax cap will not solve our state’s rising property taxes. This must be done at the state level by refusing to shift costs to our localities.”

“It is ridiculous that in this legislation, Gov. Cuomo was granted the power to wed (marry) individuals. That power should be held by religious figures and justices of the peace. For these reasons I am disappointed in this bill and voted against it."

The Genesee Economic Development Center Board voted unanimously to approve ADK Hospitality’s application for approximately $638,000 in tax exemptions during a special meeting this afternoon.

ADK is planning to build an 84-room hotel connected to the Batavia Downs gaming facility. The investment is estimated at $5.49 million.

The board agreed with ADK Hospitality that the project falls under the tourism destination requirement with the general municipal law, which states the destination must bring in outside traffic.

In response to the Clarion Hotel’s opposition to the project, Steven Hyde, GCEDC president and CEO, stated that ADK’s project application was different from the Clarion’s project application submitted in 2012.

According to GCEDC records, the Clarion Hotel submitted an incentive application for window and stucco upgrades to their facility as well as debt refinance. Staff responded to the application and said the project may not meet law requirements to enhance the destination and attract more visitors. The Clarion Hotel then removed its application.

For ADK's project, Hyde stated many full-fledged casinos offer lodging and the hotel is a good opportunity to increase traffic at Batavia Downs.

“Today we’re looking at brand-new construction, a new feature integrated to the destination and a market study that confirms the projections will meet law requirements,” Hyde said.

Wolcott Hinchey, chairman, thinks the hotel will significantly contribute to continued growth and economic development in Genesee County.

“One of the things that I liked about this project is that we’re taking a tax-exempt property and selling it to a private developer and putting a property in the Town of Batavia back on the tax rolls,” Hinchey said. “I think the benefits of the project to the community outweigh the negatives.”

Michael Nolan, vice president of Western Regional Off-Track Betting, is looking forward to starting hotel construction.

“The staff here has been wonderful with looking at every detail of the project and what it will mean to the community,” Nolan said. "We can’t thank them enough for all the professionalism that they displayed throughout the whole process. As soon as the legal work dealing with the closing of the property is complete, we will start construction at the Downs.”

In addition to ADK's project, the GCEDC approved an application submitted by Manning Squires Henning Co. for approximately $170,000 in tax exemptions to expand its facilities. The company plans to add 5,000 square feet and renovate its existing shop and office space. The project’s investment is approximately $1.3 million.

The following arrests were announced by the Sheriff's Office in connection with the Train Concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Wednesday.

Connor W. Whitman, 20, of Pendleton Street Extension, Cortland, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana for allegedly smoking marijuana in view of other concert patrons.

Michael R. Marchese, 25, of Park Avenue, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct and trespass after allegedly refusing to leave the concert parking lot after being told to leave several times and then throwing his cell phone, striking a passing vehicle in the rear window.

Press release:

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) presents the 37th annual “GO ART! Picnic in the Park” this Independence Day. The festivities run from noon until 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 4th, in historic Centennial Park on Richmond Avenue in Batavia. As is tradition, this year’s “Picnic in the Park” is a free, family-friendly event that will once again include all-day live musical entertainment, an arts and crafts show, folk arts programs, food vendors, children’s activities, and much more!

Introduced just last year to great response, the event will be preceded by a “Kiddie Parade” kicking off the day. Families with children ages 12 and under are invited to bring their bikes, scooters or strollers to the northwest corner of Centennial Park – between the Main Stage and Richmond Avenue - at 11 a.m. to decorate them for an old time “kiddie parade.” Decorations will be provided, and the parade will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Ellicott and Park avenues.

Live entertainment is presented on two separate stages, the Main Stage and “Stage II,” which has traditionally featured performances that engage kids and families. MAIN STAGE entertainment commences at noon with the “Picnic” staple Batavia Concert Band playing its traditional mix of Sousa-style marches and Big Band numbers.

Founded in 1924, the Band has brought musical pleasure to the region every year except during World War II. The Concert Band itself consists of 40 to 50 brass, woodwind and percussion players ranging from advanced high school musicians to 50-year veterans. Many have professional performance experience; the rest are advanced amateurs. All love to play. The Band's musical repertoire is wide-ranging in origin, style and period, and includes marches, Broadway show tunes, favorites from hit musicals and movies, pop, jazz and even rock numbers arranged for band. Join the Band for weekly concerts during the summer on Wednesday evenings in Centennial Park.

Directly following Batavia Concert Band’s performance, Vibrant Batavia’s Centennial Committee will do a short presentation honoring the City’s 100^th Birthday which will include cupcakes to be distributed to all who attend. 

A wide variety of bands featuring local and traditional music will follow on the Main Stage through the rest of the afternoon:

1:30-2:30 p.m. – Henrie Brothers: Old-time music has been a family matters since the early 1970s, when Bill, the oldest, tookd up the fiddle and helped his younger brothers John (mandolin), Bob (guitar), and Doug (bass) learn their instruments. Since then they have performed at leading music festivals and venues throughout the Northeast, performing bluegrass, old time, contradance, swing and jazz, all to consistent critical acclaim. At Picnic in the Park, the brothers will return to their roots in old time, early country and Irish music that gave them their start. 

2:45-3:45 p.m. – The Niagara River Dancers combine students at the Tuscarora Indian Elementary School located at the center of the Tuscarora Nation, with members of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) tribes from throughout NYS.  Many of the students stay after school for an extra hour to learn traditional dancing on a weekly basis. They not only learn the Haudenosaunee dances, but also dances from other Native communities around the country. The dancers wear beautifully beaded outfits, many in the Tuscarora raised-beadwork style, which are often made by their parents or other relatives. Traditional musicians accompany the dancers, who include explanations of the dance patterns, stories and history.

4-5 p.m. – Steel Alchemy Community Steel Band was formed in 2001 by Director Ted Canning as the Livingston County Community Steel Band, with assistance from the Decentralization grant program of the NYS Council on the Arts.  Several members have been playing with the band since its inception, including the Palermo family from Mt. Morris. In 2007 the band released its self-titled CD recording, which prompted them to come up with their current name, Steel Alchemy. They perform a variety of music including Caribbean traditional and popular songs, American pop, and music written especially for steel bands. The band is open to people ages 13 and older, with no prior experience required. Anyone interested in learning more can contact Ted at panloco@rochester.rr.com.

STAGE II:

12:30-1:30 p.m. -- Cut Off (A cappella Group) will perform their first performance of the day. The group was founded in the summer of 2010 by recent college graduates looking to continue performing in a contemporary a cappella setting. This co-ed group’s debut performance was in January 2011 at Lovin’ Cup in Rochester. The group participated in the first ever Boston Sings A cappella Festival (BOSS) in April 2012, where they took part in a workshop with Canadian-based group, Cadence. They were also proud to have performed at the Rochester Fringe Festival in September of 2013 at the TheatreROCS Stage at Xerox Auditorium. Cut Off just released their first CD, "Get Cut Off," in March of 2013 with Liquid 5th Productions (Raleigh, N.C.) and in 2014, the group was nominated for 2 Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) for Best Country Song (Good Girl) and Best CAL Song (LaserLight). 

2-2:30 p.m. -- Thai Kwon Do Demonstration by Refuse 2 Lose Martial Arts

3-4 p.m. -- Cut Off (A cappella Group) -- Second Performance

THROUGHOUT THE DAY in Centennial Park, other activities include horse-drawn wagon rides by Hartland Carriages, pony rides and petting zoo by North Forty Pony Express and the Wildlife Educators Coalition returning with its wide assortment of animals. Geoffrey Clough offers his popular interactive program of children’s songs called “Cookie Songwriting,” and of course juggling and other roving entertainment in the park.

The GLOW Area YMCA will have its bounce house and inflatable obstacle course on site, and the Explore Art! Tent invites kids and families to do their own hands-on art activity, all materials provided, and free caricatures will be available near the tent. The Genesee County Park will be featuring a larger display this year with interactive activities and they will also have their resident turtle on hand to visit. The Park is celebrating its 100^th Anniversary this year!

Along the Richmond Avenue side of Centennial Park, artists and crafters representing an amazing diversity of arts and crafts are featured in an ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOW AND SALE. Additional attractions consist of booths by community nonprofit organizations, including Genesee County ARC information & recycling education, Genesee County Historians Association, Batavia Assembly of God dunk tank and sand art, Batavia Players pizza & show info, GO ART!’s Picnic in the Park 50/50 Raffle and many others.

“Picnic” always offers up tantalizing food by a variety of vendors, such as Abbott’s cones, sundaes, milkshakes and root beer floats, Lonsberry fresh-squeezed lemonade and soft pretzels, and, of course, the Batavia Jaycees’ famous ‘dog and burger stand in its traditional location.

The event is funded, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts Folk Arts Program with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Picnic Level sponsors ($500 and up) include Batavia Rotary Club, Turnbull Heating & Air, Batavia Jaycees, Steve Hawley, CY Farms, The Batavian, and The Daily News.

Admission is free to the “Picnic in the Park.” Please call GO ART! at 585-343-9313, e-mail info@goart.org or visitwww.goart.org for more information.

Support local businesses and shop the Hometown Trail throughout Genesee County this summer! Participate in the Hometown Trail this summer by shopping at these Genesee County shops. Enter to win a $100 Gift Certificate. Get your card stamped at each shop you visit and leave your card at any shop by Aug. 31 to be entered in the grand prize drawing to be held on Sept. 12. Participants must have 8 or the 10 stamps to be entered for the grand prize drawing. The grand prize is a $100 gift certificate that can be used at one or more of the participating businesses of your choice choice through Oct. 31. Collect stamps from all the shops and you’ll be entered in the separate ultimate shopper drawing for a gift basket. Winners will be notified and featured on the Facebook page. In addition to these great prizes, there will also be giveaways on our Facebook page - The Hometown Trail!

PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES:
Berried Treasures, 1415 Broadway Road, Darien Center. Hours: Mon. - Sun. 10-4
Mulberry Station, 1241 Main Road, Pembroke. Hours: Thurs. - Sun. 10-5
The Mill, 7061 Oak Orchard Road, Elba. Hours: Thurs. 12-5, Fri.10-5, Sat. 10-4
Torrey’s Farm Market, 7142 Oak Orchard Road, Elba. Hours: Fri. & Sat. 10-5
The Artisans @ North St., 301 North St., Batavia. Hours: M-W 10-5, Thurs. 10-7, Sat. 10-3
The Hobby Horse, 54-56 Main St., Le Roy. Hours: Tues. - Sat. 10-5, Sun. 12-3
Country Hill, 11119 W. Park St., Pavilion. Hours: Tues. - Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-4
Kozy Kabin, 922 Genesee St., Corfu. Thurs., Fri., & Sat. 10-5
Country Cottage, 10448 Harper Road, Darien Center, Darien. Hours: 7 days a week - 11-6
Harrington’s Produce & Bakery, 5282 Clinton St., Batavia. Hours: Mon. - Sun. 10-6

For more information, call Kelly Dudley 585-746-1677 or Chris Ward 585-356-9895. Check us out on Facebook: The Hometown Trail.

Press release:

WBTA Radio will temporarily suspend AM and FM transmissions on Friday morning, June 26 in order to repair antenna damage caused by severe thunderstorms earlier.

The station expects the signals will be turned off at about 10:15 a.m. as engineers reposition the station's FM antenna that was rotated 90-degrees due to strong winds.

The AM signal on 1490 was unaffected by the storm but in order for someone to safely climb the 200-foot tower on Creek Road to reach the FM antenna both signals must be shut down, explained WBTA President Dan Fischer.

“We hope the outage will last no more than 90 minutes but we will not know the extent of damage until we can inspect it close up,” Fischer said.

While the stations are off the air, programming will continue to be heard online and via mobile devices at WBTAi.com.

History was made on Tuesday night as three Muckdog pitchers combined to throw the first perfect game in club history and only the fourth all-time in the New York-Penn League.

After his disappointing opening day start, Gabriel Castellanos was ready to right the ship and get Batavia its first win of the season.

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers came into the game hitting .256 as a team, good for sixth in the New York-Penn League.

Castellanos was sharp, confident and had all his pitches going to keep the hard-hitting Scrappers off balance all night.

“I was able to execute all my pitches, it was a team effort,” he said.

Castellanos would need just 35 pitches to get through the first nine batters of the game. Of the first nine batters he faced, Castellanos was able to strikeout six of them, four of which were looking.

In his previous start against the Auburn Doubledays, Castellanos only made it through three and two-thirds innings while allowing five runs on five hits. On Tuesday it was a different story.

After striking out the side in third, Castellanos would strike out two of three batters in the fourth and fifth innings, bringing his game total to 10 strikeouts.

Gabriel Castellanos poses with his game ball after the Muckdogs complete their first perfect game in club history on Tuesday night. Photo taken by Stephen Ognibene. 

“He had all his pitches going. He threw strikes and got ahead of hitters and finished them,” Manager Angel Espada said.

If there was a moment in the game where the perfect game was in doubt, it was definitely in the sixth inning.

D’vone McClure would fly out to center to begin the inning. Nate Winfrey, who has yet to collect a hit this season, was able to work the count to 0-3.

Instead of making Castellanos throw a strike, Winfrey hacked at the 0-3 pitch and flew out to centerfielder Stone Garrett.

Castellanos would strike out Silento Sayles to finish the inning.

Heading into the seventh inning, Castellanos had only thrown 71 pitches, but being it's so early in the season and the fact that it's minor league baseball, many were wondering how long they would let him go.

Castellanos would again work a perfect seventh inning, striking out Mark Mathias and putting his final tally at 12 strikeouts on 86 pitches.

“That’s the minor leagues. We have pitching counts. We have caps on innings,” Espada said.

“He gave us his all and we pushed him to as far as we could.”

Brett Lilek would make his season debut in the eighth by striking out the side. Lilek’s first batter he faced was no walk in the park.

Scrapper DH Anthony Santander, who is hitting .550 this season, led off the eighth inning and seemed out matched by 6’4” lefty. Lilek was able to punch him out on four pitches.

Steve Farnworth came in for the save in the ninth, but it was definitely not a drama-free ninth inning.

McClure would lead off the inning by drilling the second pitch he saw toward the gap between first and second. First baseman Eric Fisher was able to tip it with his glove toward second; Giovanny Alfonzo was able to scamper to pick it up and throw it to Franworth who was covering first.

Farnworth would strike out Winfrey and then finish the game by getting Sayles to ground out to shortstop.

First baseman Eric Fisher (29) stretches to catch a ball in the bottom of the ninth inning while Scrappers left-fielder Silento Sayles (9) runs to first. Photo taken by Stephen Ognibene. 

“It’s not easy to come out of the bullpen and do what they did,” Espada said.

Batavia’s lone run of the game came in the second inning when Korey Dunbar would double, followed by a Taylor Munden double. Dunbar would score from second making it 1-0 and all the runs the Muckdog pitchers would need.

Dunbar would finish the game 2-for-2 with a double and Anfernee Seymour would go 2-for-4 in the win.

Each hitter for the Scrappers ended the game with at least one strikeout. 

“You can’t describe it,” Espada said. “It came at a great moment for this group of kids.”

The Muckdogs celebrate the perfect game and thier first win on Tuesday night. Photo taken by Stephen Ognibene. 

The Muckdogs are on the road for their next six games but return to Dwyer for a three-game series against Mahoning Valley starting on July 1 at 7:05 p.m.

Not much has gone right for the Batavia Muckdogs thus far in 2015, but that all changed earlier tonight against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (3-3).

Three pitchers combined for the first perfect game in club history: 27 up, 27 down.

The perfect game is the first win of the season for Batavia (1-5).

Stay tuned for a full recap of the game.

The Volunteers of America Thrift Store in Batavia's Eastown Plaza is one of 11 thrift stores closing in the region.

Volunteers of America Upstate New York announced the closings yesterday. All of the stores will be closed by the end of September.

Six employees currently work at the Batavia store. The organization is working with local employment agencies to assist them with finding another job.

JoAnne Ryan, president and CEO, said increased competition in the resale industry is one of the main reasons for closing the thrift stores.

"The competition in this arena has gotten extremely expansive and that has created a huge challenge for us to maintain at that level of competition," Ryan said. "Mainstream resale companies have a greater latitude with discounting. Their prices would press against our prices and that compression factor really made it hard to compete."

The harsh winter also led to a steady decline in sales.

With the closing of its thrift stores, Volunteers of America is looking to expand their programs that help families, children and the homeless. The organization doesn't offer child care or housing services for Genesee County residents. But according to Ryan, Genesee County residents can take part in their residential re-entry program, a program that helps individuals completing a federal prison sentence transition back into their community.

St. Joseph Catholic School offers exceptional kindergarten-readiness programming for 3-year-old and 4-year-old children as well as wrap-around-care to accommodate families’ busy schedules. Here are some St. Joe's Pre-K facts: Pre-K Teachers: Mrs. Susan Neer is our 3-year-olds' Pre-School teacher; her classroom aide is Mrs. Joyce Gahr. Mrs. Elizabeth Hofmaster is our 4-year-olds' Pre-K teacher; her classroom aide is Mrs. Barbara Paserk.

Wrap-Around-Care (3 and 4-year-olds): Parents with children attending pre-school often struggle with the mid-day drop off and pick up schedules associated with most preschool programs. Our wrap-around-care program provides quality childcare for before and after the St. Joseph School Pre-K program. It is a safe and fun place for children to be when they are not in the classroom. Directed by Mrs. Jill Kratz with the assistance of her classroom aide Mrs. Stephanie King, this program is filled with daily activities such as arts and crafts, outdoor play, imaginative and sensory play, storytime, music activities and free-time play. Wrap-around-care is available all days that St. Joseph School is in session from 7:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. The cost for this additional program is $5/hour.

School Calendar: Our school calendar typically conforms to the Batavia Public Schools. Please note these days in the St. Joseph School Calendar that you received or will be receiving shortly. Further, if the Batavia Public Schools are closed due to stormy weather, St. Joseph School will automatically be closed. Please listen to WBTA AM 1490 for these announcements. (Additional radio and television stations are listed in your School Calendar).

Transportation: Parents are responsible for arranging transportation to and from school. Some parents may choose to arrange car pools with one another. However, no child will be released from school to anyone other than a parent or person that is listed on the child's “Personal Information Sheet” unless the school receives notice, in advance, in writing. Of course, this firm policy is in the best interest of your child’s safety. Thank you for your support.

Clothing: Please dress your child in comfortable, play clothing. Many of the Pre-K crafts and activities are great fun but can be messy. Not only do the teachers regret stains on fine clothing but if not dressed in play clothing, many children will not fully participate for fear of disappointing themselves and others should their good clothing became stained. Also, please dress your child in sneakers. The children play outside or in the school gymnasium as much as possible and sneakers are the safest choice for these activities. Finally, please bring a change of clothes to leave at school in your child's cubby. Please put the clothes in a bag with their name clearly marked on it. This is just in case we have a spill or other accident.

Tuition: The tuition for our Pre‑K Program may be paid at the church office on a monthly or semester basis. Monthly payments are due on the first school day of every month. Please understand that tuition for the first semester needs to be paid in full by Dec. 1st. Tuition for the second semester needs to be paid in full by May 1st. You may also sign up for automatic withdraw through our FACTS tuition payment program. Thank you in advance for your understanding and courtesy. 

Questions? Please feel free to contact the school office with any questions. (585) 343-6154 or visit our Web site: www.sjsbatavia.org

James R. Cooper, 32, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment, 2nd. The domestic incident occurred at a residence on State Street, Batavia. Cooper allegedly punched his girlfriend repeatedly and choked her. The dispute happened in front of their three children.

Christina A. Deluna, 35, of Central Avenue, Batavia, is charged with conspiracy, 4th, and criminal nuisance, 1st. Batavia police found Deluna walking in the area of Liberty Street and Ellicott Street. She was turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and held without bail.

Jeffrey M. Currier, 33, of Knowlesville Road, Alabama, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, assault, 3rd, and criminal obstruction of breathing. The incident occurred on Knowlesville Road. Currier is accused of causing physical injury to another person in violation of an order of protection.

Faye Lone, 56, of Basom, is charged with DWI and resisting arrest, class A misdemeanors, following a traffic stop. Troopers located Lone on Route 5 in Batavia traveling at a slow speed and partially driving on the roadway. After Lone was pulled over, she allegedly refused to cooperate with police. She was put in Genesee County Jail on $250 bail.

Tiffany A. Reed, 20, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th, following a domestic incident on Walnut Street in Batavia. Reed is accused of pushing a person and prevented the person from calling 9-1-1. She also allegedly made verbal threats to physically harm another person.

Christopher G. Landry, 41, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, following a domestic incident on Ross Street. Landry allegedly shoved an individual during an argument.

David M. Schmeider, 21, of Highland Park, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Schmeider is accused of taking 24 cans of Budweiser beer off of a beverage truck when it was making a delivery to the Kwik Fill on Jackson Street in Batavia. Shortly after the incident, he was located at his residence drinking one of the beers and arrested. 

Felicia D. Ricks, 43, of Whitesboro Street, Utica, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, speeding and insufficient tail lamp following a traffic stop by Officer Stephen Cronmiller on Walnut Street, Batavia. Ricks was put in the Genesee County Jail.

Amanda R. Jurewicz, 29, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Jurewicz's 2-year-old son was allegedly found walking alone on the sidewalk of East Main Street in Batavia wearing only a soiled diaper.

Dahana D. Armstrong, 21, of Fisher Park, Batavia, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, criminal possession of marijuana, 5th, operating without insurance and operating without inspection. Armstrong was arrested following an investigation into a traffic stop by Officer Steven Cronmiller on Jackson Street in Batavia,.

Sergio E. Morales, 20, of Rochester, was arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana. Troopers allegedly detected the smell of marijuana after pulling over the vehicle for a traffic stop on Route 98 in Alexander. Morales was a passenger in the vehicle.

Robert E. Saari, 33, of Alleghany Road, Attica, was arrested on a bench warrant issued by the City of Batavia following a traffic stop on Main Street in Batavia. Saari allegedly failed to appear for an aggravated unlicensed operation ticket.

Patrick J. Woodrich, 44, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant issued by the City of Batavia for allegedly failing to appear for a third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation charge. Woodrich was located following a traffic stop on Clinton Street Road, Batavia, by Officer James DeFreze. 

Ted E. Kingsley, 42, of Sandpit Road, Alexander, was arrested on a bench warrant in the parking lot behind the City of Batavia Police Department. Kingsley allegedly failed to pay a fine.

Allen M. Barlow, 28, of Glenhaven Drive, Amherst, was issued an appearance ticket for allegedly leaving a dog in a vehicle in extreme heat for at least one hour on Route 77 in Darien.